Enemy, Guardian, Lover
by KennHyrulian
Summary: He was the greatest hero who lived. He had done seemingly impossible quests. He was granted immortality at a young age of 18. He was assigned as a gaurdian for the Hunt. He did everything that all demigods wanted to do. But he had died 450 years ago.
1. Memories

**Memories of a Hero**

It was another annual full moon celebration for Artemis and her hunters. They were all celebrating, chatting with one another and placing bets on shooting competitions. There was nothing wrong at the moment for the band of immortal hunters. Zoë and Phoebe were having arm wrestles, Kate and Elissa were shooting targets, and Alice was having a dodgeball fight with her twin sister, Selena. Everyone was enjoying themselves... except for Artemis.

Normally, she would be as happy as her hunters. Normally, she would be talking with Zoë about their next expedition. Normally, she would relax and forget all troubles that followed her. Except today wasn't a normal day. Not for her.

"My lady, does something ail thee?"

Artemis flinched from the sudden intrusion of her thoughts, and was whirling around with a dagger in her hand before she realized that it was just her lieutenant.

"No, Zoë. Nothing is wrong."

"Mistress, I hath been with thou for centuries and longer. I have hunted beasts of tremendous power alongside thee, and I hath been with thou when Orion passed away. I think I know when something is wrong, and when thou art lying."

Artemis grimaced at her words. True, Zoë was a faithful and loyal friend and sister, but it sometimes came with unwanted skills. Like the ability to sense when she was lying.

"It is about _him_, is it not?"

Again, Artemis flinched... _he _was special to her. _He _was different from the typical male species. _He_ was one of the very few men who Artemis did not hate or dislike. _He_ was able to capture her heart, but at the same time break it.

Zoë sighed. She too, understood her mistress' feelings. After all, _he _did prove himself worthy to the Hunt, and displayed everything men do not usually show: Kindness, respect, compassion, sympathy... the list goes on. The entire Hunt accepted _him_, which was an unusual feat. Even Orion, Artemis' first love, did not manage to do what _he _did.

"Mistress, you must sto-"

"Silence, Zoë," Artemis interrupted quietly but sternly. "I could have saved _him_. It was my fault that I was careless. It was my fault that _he_ is no longer with us. I wished I could have acted differently, fought better, and been more careful. Instead, I damned the life of the man who I loved."

Zoë wasn't surprised. Everyone in the Hunt had known that _he_ had a relationship with Artemis. Strangely, _he_ did not know that Artemis had loved _him_, or knew he had a relationship. _He_ was just oblivious to everything. _I guess no man could be perfect_, thought Zoë. The relationship was strange, odd, and different in many ways, but Artemis cherished it. When they first met, Artemis had lashed out with venomous words and taunting phrases, but _he_ did not take offense. _He_ took it in stride, and just took the assaults. _He_ was only 12 then, on his first quest but already _he_ was showing signs of a great hero without any noticeable flaws. Zoë almost chuckled at the memory of their first meeting, almost 500 years ago...

"_Zoë, take your group and go to the right of the hellhounds. Phoebe, head left. Surround them and do not give it a chance to escape us. We fire on my mark," Artemis ordered. "One... Two... Three... Fir-"_

_Almost immediately they heard the cracking of twigs the annoying telltale sounds of someone walking in the brush. The hellhound party of eight immediately perked up and charged at the sound._

_Artemis cursed: the hellhounds have been attacking several demigods living here and she had been ordered by her father (with the help of her annoying brother, Apollo) to wipe them out for a couple of years. She almost turned and yelled at the offending hunter who made the sound before she realized what was in the brush. A __**boy**__. With a small hellhound following him. She almost shot the intruders herself before she realized the boy was a demigod. A Son of Poseidon no less, with the smell of the sea and the sea-green eyes._

_Artemis frowned, there had been no sea spawns for decades since Poseidon had decided to be more faithful to his wife. And after she killed Orion... Artemis immediately slapped herself mentally. 'What is over is over; I cannot bring back the dead. It has been centuries anyways.' She refocused her attention at the boy, merely 12 to 13 years old. _

_His weapon was odd however. Instead of the customary sword or spear, or even the well known bow, he was carrying a C shaped weapon, a warglaive. Warglaives, she corrected herself. There were two strapped to his back but ready at an instant if he needed them._

_He only seemed taken aback for a second by the pack of hellhounds, before he corrected himself, assumed a battle position and drew his deadly weapons, his pet also tensing up. 'Good reflexes,' Artemis thought. She almost widened her eyes in surprise when he, with his hellhound, charged forward instead of defending against the noticeably larger force charging at him. She considered helping him for a moment, but instead decided not to. The less men in the world there were, the less trouble there were for her._

_He ducked underneath the first hellhound that leaped at him, and sliced the underside with ruthless efficiency, and then slicing the face of another hellhound. His pet, despite the small size, managed to claw another hellhound multiple times before dodging a claw. In the first few seconds, one of the eight hellhounds were dead, and two others were grievously wounded._

_The hellhounds halted their charge and inspected their foes cautiously, deciding to surround them instead. The fact that three of their pack was killed and wounded in less than a second, and by a seemingly weak party, dropped their confidence level a notch._

_The boy seemed content to wait, despite the hellhounds' slow surrounding of him, where they could attack in any direction. 'A fool,' Artemis thought. 'No one should underestimate their enemies.' She could sense her hunters itching to attack the hellhounds, but with a quick signal they sighed and released the tension on their bows._

_The hellhounds charged as one at the boy and his pet, but just as quick the boy moved forward. Slashing the hellhound in front of him with 4 blindingly quick strikes and leaving it to vaporize, and instantly using his left warglaive to block a claw as well as gut another hellhound. He became a whirlwind of destruction, blocking, dodging, slashing and gutting each hellhound. The hellhound pet also seemed to be equal in its master's combat prowess, rushing forward, biting and clawing a hellhound twice its size. She watched, amused, when the boy was clawed across the back. He did not flinch and continued fighting. In a very short amount of time, there was a mountain of golden dust surrounding the once clean clearing. _

_The boy, instead of treating his own wounds first, treated his pet, checking it over and dabbing a small amount of nectar on to the cuts. When he was satisfied, he drank the rest of the nectar and wrapped his own wounds where the claw scratched him. Putting his warglaives onto his back, he started walking away, completely unnerved by the large amount of golden sand and destruction. The hellhound followed obediently._

_Artemis decided now was the time to stand up and demand why this young __**boy**__ came and took away her Hunt's fun. Making a signal to the rest of the hunters to surround him, she stood up. Before she was at her full height (which, mind you, was not very tall since she took the appearance of a twelve year old girl), the boy had turned around and held one of his warglaives in a throwing position aimed at and would have cleaved her in half if he threw._

_The boy's eyes widened at the sight of a girl that was around her age, but he knew better than to decide it was a mortal. A mortal would not have been able to see the fighting in the clearing, nor the warglaives. The fact that he had not been able to sense her until she showed herself also proved that she could not be a mere demigod. Which left the option of a goddess. _

_The boy put the warglaive onto his back, and kneeled before the goddess, knowing that if she wished it, he could die at a moment's notice, even when he was on a quest for his father. He also told the hellhound who was supposedly his pet to stand down and stop growling._

_Artemis watched him critically. Now that they were both in the open, she could study him more clearly. The boy had raven black hair, and his height was fairly average for his young age. His green eyes showed of intelligence and cunning, as well as bravery and respect for her. He had an athletic body, and his arms showed small signs of muscles, but not too much to become repulsive for her. She was amused by the boy's actions. He had studied her and assumed she was a goddess, and thus treated her with respect and reverence._

"_What were you doing attacking __**my**__ prey?" She demanded harshly. "I'll have you know, that I do now wish for males to watch or interfere with my hunts. Give me a reason quickly, or you'll suffer the consequences." Artemis winced inwardly at her own tone. She wasn't used to talking like this, but she had to act like she hated the other sex. If she goes soft, she'll let them into her heart, like Orion... and then... _

_She shook her head again (Mentally, of course. It wouldn't do for a __**boy**__ to see her confused). "Well? Answer me quickly. And you might as well explain who you are, and why in the name of Hades you have a hellhound with you._

_The boy was choosing his words carefully. If this was who he suspected, his words must be careful, or she would deal with him harshly. Very harshly._

"_My lady, I did not mean to offend you or interfere in your hunt. I was merely headed towards my destination. I had no knowledge of the hellhounds or your party, and I am sorry that I have bothered you._

_The goddess watched him with scorn, searching him physically and mentally, seeking any dishonesty in his words. He told the truth. 'A first for everything.' she thought._

"_Why do you have a monster with you? You should know that these monsters are dangerous and should be killed upon sight, lest they wreck havoc upon innocents."_

"_My lady, Skia Dromeas does not mean any harm, I assure you. She is merely a baby, who was left behind by her pack for being weak. I took her in, and nursed her back to full health. She does not deserve punishment, and she has never spilled an innocent's blood before. She is innocent, and I intend to raise her as such."_

'_Skia Dromeas,' Artemis mused. 'Shadow Runner, a fitting name. "How do you know that it is a she? How do you know she is innocent? Hellhounds are mindless creature bred for destruction."_

_The boy seemed to be thinking this over, finding the most suitable answer before replying._

"_I am not sure, my lady-"_

"_And stop calling me 'my lady'. It annoys me to no end, and the fact that you are a male is making your situation dangerous." The other hunters (especially Zoë) were taken aback by the threatening tone she used. They had never seen their mistress this angry._

_The boy flinched visibly at her tone._

"_Lady Artemis, (here, he seemed worried that he had gotten the name wrong) I have a gift that allows me to communicate and understand certain beasts at a level. I do not know how or why I have it, which is why I may not be able to answer any more questions on this gift._

_Artemis simply nodded. The boy in front of her had been kneeling the entire time, not daring to meet her eyes for fear of disrespecting her. "My last question. Who are you?"_

_The boy seemed taken aback by the question, obviously not expecting it. He hesitated a few seconds, before answering._

"_I am the son of Poseidon, the Earthshaker and god of the Seas."_

"_I obviously know that, boy, but what is your name"_

_The boy took a deep breath before replying boldly._

"_With all due respect, I am afraid I am forbidden to do that, Lady Artemis. My father forbids me from telling others until the time is right."_

_Artemis merely just glared at the boy, mentally unshielding his thoughts, one barrier after a next, before coming upon an impenetrable barrier, probably made by his father himself._

"_Fine. Now get out of my sight before I shoot you and your pet."_

_The boy seemed relieved, and still watching her carefully, he walked away. Artemis' hunters then showed themselves from the trees and bushes they were hiding in._

"_Mistress, does he bother you? We could go after him and teach him a lesson if you wish," Phoebe offered._

_Artemis merely sighed. "He confuses me. He shows deadly grace with strange weapons, but he is young. He is respectful and kind, yet he is a male. He is cunning and intelligent, but he does not offer his own name despite my reasonable questions. He talks about a destination, but he never revealed what it was. I almost mistook him for a child of Athena, if it weren't for the scent of the sea."_

_Zoë watched her mistress closely. "My lady, if thou wish it we will follow him and learn what we can from him, even if it means we must interrogate him..."_

_Artemis glanced at her lieutenant closely. "Zoë, relax. He merely confuses me, he does not disrespect me. Let's just find another monster to hunt, and tell my father of the discovery of a child of the sea."_

Zoë chuckled inwardly. Despite the fact that their first meeting was noticeably short and Artemis was hitting _him_ with her words harshly, _he_ had not shown offense, only respect and gratitude when Artemis allowed _him_ to leave.

Artemis watched Zoë out of the corner of her eye, seeing Zoë's eyes twinkle with laughter. "What is it Zoë?"

Zoë nearly choked trying to contain her small laughter and keeping a guilty look off of her face. "Forgive me mistress, I am just... remembering _him_, and the times together."

The goddess merely took an anguished look on her face as she was once reminded of how harsh she had been to the demigod. She thought of the last time she saw _him_. It was on _his_ deathbed, after a fatal battle trying to save her. She wanted to tell him so badly that she loved _him_, but she could never say it. She was too afraid and unnerved by the feeling.

"_Why? Why did you do it?" Her voice was shaky, and golden tears started to fall down her cheek._

_He raised his hand to wipe the tear away, but realized that he did not have the strength._

"_It was my duty. I did not wish to... see you in pain. Better me than you. My mortal life is not as valuable as yours. Besides, I-"_

"_Don't say that!" Artemis interrupted viciously. This only brought around a new batch of tears. "You are just as worthy as the gods themselves. You will survive and get through this. Don't leave m... us..."_

_He just chuckled, but this minor action made him cough weakly and spit out blood._

"_My lady, I have served you faithfully for 50 years now. But you and I both know that I cannot live through this. Hyperion attacked with too much power, as well as cursed me. Look at me; I am barely a human anymore. I would rather endure the pain than let you take the curse. Knowing that you are safe, I can rest in peace, and die with no regrets. I am happy that I was able to fight by your side."_

"_No! Please don't go away, we can heal you..." Artemis said weakly. But inside she knew he was right. He was beyond saving._

"_Take care of Skia please? I would hate to see her upset for long." The said hellhound, now the size of a truck, was lying down next to her dying master, whimpering and nuzzling his arm._

_Artemis nodded mutely, not trusting herself to speak without crying. He smiled happily, before facing back up into the stars. "The stars are beautiful tonight, milady." His grin widened when he saw the Major Ursa, the bear that he once fought and found as an equal. Even in death, he seemed optimistic, not allowing anyone else to become sad. He stiffened for a few seconds, before his whole body relaxed. _

_Skia howled mournfully to the moon at the death of her master. The entire Hunt who surrounded the scene looked down sadly. He was like a brother that they never had, the big brother that cared for them. Artemis cried once more. "Goodbye, my love..."_

_Taking his weapons, she murmured slowly an ancient incantation that she had only done twice in her life. His warglaives, the ones that he used so often, shimmered once, before becoming ethereal and flying up to the night sky. The Hunters gasped when they looked where it was. In the place between Orion and Major Ursa stood several new stars, creating the picture of his weapons, shining brightly. _

_The other gods showed up at the scene a few seconds later, gasping at the still body of the hero. Poseidon showed up and frantically looked for his now deceased son. When he had seen the warglaives in the sky, he had transported immediately. He now looked shocked and downcast that his favourite son had died fighting against Hyperion and saving Artemis. One by one, the gods arrived, and paid their respects. When Hades showed up, everyone but Artemis and Skia stepped back. He too, surprisingly, looked upset. They all paid their respects to the hero, before burying him in the Garden of the Gods. Artemis mourned for months, before returning to her duties._

"Mistress?"

Artemis once again flinched from the sudden intrusion of her memories. She turned around to see that the entire Hunt had stopped what they were doing and were watching her carefully. She merely sighed and watched her favourite constellation again, shining brightly against the sky.

The other girls understood immediately, and left their mistress alone. Artemis regretted letting _him_ die. Hyperion's curse had not only been painful to _him_, but to her as well. Seeing _his _body writhe under the pain but still fight hurt her. _His_ eyes had burned out and in their place stood hellfire, and his back had sprouted black leathery wings. But despite that he still fought. And died. What made the situation worst was the fact that the curse not only changed _his_ body, but his soul disintegrated when _he_ died, which was why she could only turn the weapon instead of _his_ body. If _he_ was a soul, she could have visited _him_ in Elysium, or when _he_ tried for rebirth.

Artemis shook her head. That was enough tragic memories for one night. Skia, the hellhound who had followed her faithfully for 450 years watched her carefully, sensing something was wrong. Artemis just smiled and patted the hound's head softly. She called her hunters together and informed them to be ready to move out at dawn. They would be going to an area near Westover Hall to destroy a manticore and his small band of lethal monsters.

She sighed again.

_I just wished I told you I loved you once before you died. I wished I had told you I loved you, Perseus Jackson._


	2. The Forgotten Enemy, The Forgotten Hero

**A/N: Apparently I forgot the copyright in the first chapter. I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. All characters and settings belong to Rick Riordan. I claim only my OC's. This copyright extends to the rest of the story.**

**Btw, thanks for the reviews. First story, first chapter, feels good. In case you haven't figured it out, Percy's weapons are like Illidan's from WC. Anyways, this chapter takes place on the same day of Chapter 1, as well as clear things up.**

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><p><strong>The Forgotten Enemy, The Forgotten Hero<strong>

Camp Half-Blood: Campfire

They looked upwards at the moon. It was shimmering from its normal pale colour to a bright red, over and over again. It was a dazzling effect, but it made the campers uneasy. This had never happened before, and they took it as a bad omen for things to come.

Before long, a camper asked the inevitable question that everyone wanted to hear.

"What's up with the moon? Is Artemis pissed at something?"

Chiron just looked up sadly. "It's is a long story, young one. A tragic one as well."

Almost immediately the bonfire soared an extra three feet into the air. The crowd started chanting for Chiron to weave and entrap everyone into his mysterious and long stories that left campers wide-eyed and wanting for more.

The centaur looked amused before raising his hand slightly, making the crowd quiet. "It begins a long time ago, nearly 500 years ago. Now, tell me. Who has heard of Perseus Jackson?"

Everyone raised their hands. He was the son of Poseidon, the greatest hero of all time, and every demigod did their best to become like him. Or at least try to. He had done many things that ancient heroes like Jason and Heracles would envy. And he had done impossible things, such as somehow managing to gain the respect of all the gods.

The campers glanced at Michael Smith, the current and only son of Poseidon since World War II, before they turned back. It was hard to imagine that Perseus had the same father as Michael. It was well known that Michael had a big ego and trash-talked everyone, even the gods. He thought he was the hero of the Great Prophecy, and he let that get into his brain. In his mind, he was better than anyone else.

"He was the greatest hero this world has ever seen. He had accomplished tasks seemingly impossible. And what's more, he even had a gift to talk with beasts. From a young age, he already showed the makings of a great hero. At a mere age of 12, he accomplished his first task as well as tame a hellhound, named Skia Dromeas, or Shadow Runner." Chiron continued.

Michael scoffed at the name. "You think he would have chosen a better name." The entire camp glared at Michael for interrupting, causing him to shift uncomfortably. His girlfriend, Annabeth, just squeezed Michael's hand to calm him down.

"In his life, he had completed eight different quests, each one harder than the next. He had retrieved the Big Three weapons when they were stolen by a Titan's servant, he had found the Golden Fleece and wandered in the Labyrinth. He duelled against Athena and Ares themselves with his warglaives, and-"

"Warglaives? What are those?"

Chiron chuckled. "I doubt any one of you have ever seen a warglaive. It takes immense skill and concentration to use one as deadly as he did. If you look up to the stars, between Orion and Ursa Major, you can see his weapons shining brightly."

The entire camp glanced up, and watched the constellation. The warglaives, in all their deadliness and beauty, showed against the night sky.

"Do you think anyone could use it?"

"Is that even a weapon?"

"So cool!"

Chiron waited until the crowd calm down before resuming he story. "In recognition for his deeds, he was granted immortality by the gods at the age of 18. He was assigned to be a Guardian for the Hunt. Needless to say, he and Artemis did not start off friendly. In fact, most of the time Artemis would ridicule Perseus with harsh words. But over the 50 years he served her, they gradually became close friends. He was the perfect guardian, letting Artemis have free will but at the same time protecting her. Some would even say that they were more than just friends, but that was never confirmed."

Chiron's mood started to sadden. "At his 50th year of service, Hyperion escaped from his chains and captured Artemis, taking her to Mount Othrys in what is now known as California. The Titan had wanted to curse Artemis with eternal pain, forever in torment and never to rest as revenge against her father, Zeus. But Perseus, too loyal to see his mistress in pain, engaged the Titan in battle and took the curse himself. He fought well, and was able to force the Titan to retreat, but succumbed to his wounds. Hyperion's curse had burned Perseus from the inside. His sea-green eyes burned out, leaving hellfire in his sockets. His back sprouted black leathery wings, and while he was dying, he was feeling an intense pain. His soul was incinerated when he died, so he could never travel to Elysium."

The bonfire, which reflected the campers' moods, suddenly went low, burning purple and reaching no higher than a few inches. "Artemis mourned for many months for the loss of her friend, guardian, and lover. In respect to him, she turned the warglaives into the constellation in the sky. His body, though his soul was gone, was buried in the Garden of the Gods. Today marks the 450th year that he passed away, and the day that he became the Greatest Hero who ever lived. In answer to the first question on why the moon is turning red, it is because Artemis mourns her age old friend."

The campers were awestruck by the story. They knew that the Greatest Hero had done many things, but they never knew the full story. They never knew that he was Guardian of the Hunt, and sacrificed himself to save a goddess.

"Alright campers, lights out in 5 minutes. Michael, Annabeth and Thalia, you three get ready for your trip tomorrow." Chiron turned around and cantered into the Big House.

The trio nodded. They had to go to a military school named 'Westover Hall' because their friend Grover found two powerful demigods and needed help delivering them safely into camp.

The rest of the campers dispersed, several still watching the constellation of the Warglaives, before disappearing into their cabins.

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><p><em>Next Day<em>

She watched as her hunters took a break. They had been running for several hours now and they had just begun to show the signs of exhaustion. Skia, the ever faithful hellhound, still stood beside her mistress, while her lieutenant, Zoë, stood on the right. They could see the outlines of the Westover Hall military school. Which meant that the monsters they are hunting were close.

"Zoë, prepare the hunters for battle. Be wary, I sense a large amount of monsters in the area."

"As thou wishes, my lady."

Skia sniffed the air, before growling softly.

"I know, Skia. I wonder why there are so many monsters anyways. They are usually scattered around the country. They haven't grouped up like this since the time when Perseus..." Her voice became shaky for a few seconds, and refused to speak.

Skia just looked at its mistress sadly, as if sensing her feelings. She came closer and nuzzled the goddess' hand, despite the fact the hellhound was _huge_ for her size, larger than a truck, and the goddess was in her 12 year old form. For some reason, her lumbering size did not affect her uncanny ability to be as quiet as a mouse when she needed to. Skia was what Perseus had truly said when they first met. The hellhound was an innocent and gentle being, and only attacked when threatened. She seemed to be able to understand what people say, marking her as an intelligent being.

"Mistress? The Hunt is ready. We will move out and engage when thou art ready."

"Good work, Zoë. We will move out in ten minutes. Until then, stay on guard. The monsters may have already sensed us."

Artemis narrowed her eyes near the entrance of the school. Three demigods got out of a car and started walking to the front. She glared when she recognized them. It was Annabeth, the daughter of Athena, Thalia, the daughter of Zeus, and Michael, the son of Poseidon. She had hated Michael when they first met. He was nothing like Perseus, despite them having the same blood ties with their father. He was everything she thought men were; egotistic, cruel, uncaring and too confident for their own good.

"Change of plans, Zoë. We wait for the demigods to come out and find out what they're up to."

Zoë peered closely at the far off entrance, and scowled when she recognized the boy. When they first met the boy, he had ridiculed the entire Hunt because apparently, _'they are girls, and so they are weaker than men'_, as he so nicely put it. Now everyone wanted to gut and slit his throat. As well as shoot a dozen arrows into his body.

"As thou wishes. Do we have to aid them?"

"Only the girls. Not the boy. He's not our problem and if he dies... well, let's just leave it at that."

Half an hour later, the Hunt observed as several monsters dragged out the wounded demigods, as well as a satyr and two unknown, but powerful, half-bloods. A manticore was leading the pack of Laistrygonian giants and prisoners towards a clearing in the forest. Artemis shook her head sadly. It appears that the demigods weren't as strong as they seem.

Making a motion to her Hunt, Artemis followed the group silently, Skia copying its mistress' actions just as quietly. When she reached the clearing, she almost gasped. Monsters of every size were lounging around and snacking on some type of meal, but what scared her most was their leader.

Hyperion sat in all his glory and radiance on a throne, which the manticore was leading them to. Artemis had a brief flashback of him torturing her when he captured her, before Perseus came.

_How? I thought that bastard was supposed to be in Tartarus for the next millennia!_

She cleared her head and watched in interest at what the manticore was doing.

"Dr. Thorn, I see you managed to get the demigods as well as a bonus. And it's the brat son of Poseidon and his girlfriend Annabeth, with that tree-girl, Thalia." Hyperion observed.

The manticore, or Dr. Thorn, just laughed. "They weren't even a challenge my lord. But you'll be more interested in what else we found along the way."

Artemis suddenly had this ominous feeling in her gut that something bad would happen.

"Well? What is it?"

Thorn just smiled evilly, before bringing out another girl that was wounded badly. Artemis reeled backwards at the sudden sight of a member of her Hunt, Elissa. The rest of the Hunt reacted just as their lady did.

"Well, well. Must say that this is a pleasant turn of events." Hyperion replied. Quick as a flash, he took out his long golden blade and held it to the neck of the beaten girl.

"Artemis, show yourself. I know you are there. Might as well reveal the rest of your Hunt, or I'll slit your beloved huntress' neck over here."

Sighing, Artemis dropped her weapons and stepped out into the clearing. All the other members of the Hunt stood by their lady, their weapons at their feet. They would sacrifice anything to save a Sister of theirs.

Monsters from the clearing stood up and tied them with celestial bronze ropes, rendering the hunters useless. Hyperion threw Elissa onto the ground, where she too shared the fate of her sisters. Skia was tied down by several braver monsters.

"Now, a rematch for what happened four and a half centuries ago." Hyperion smirked, before tossing Artemis her daggers. She caught them without flinching and assumed her stance, left dagger forward, right behind her poised to strike.

The battle was short and pitiful. Hyperion had regained much more energy than Artemis had expected. Artemis had charged first, throwing a dagger at the Titan's face with her other ready to strike him in the gut. But the Titan just emitted a more powerful aura, and melted the flying dagger, before slicing and disarming Artemis. Kicking her in the stomach, she flew and smashed into a tree, dazed and confused.

"I will enjoy this, little bitch, after you and your precious guardian locked me up in that damned Pit of Tartarus." Hyperion said murderously, before slicing the chest of the Moon goddess. She screamed in pain as her golden ichor dripped down in large amounts, forming a pool at her feet. The monsters cheered, while the hunters and demigods looked sick and tried their best to help her. It was in vain, however. The Titan rained blows upon the vulnerable goddess, each slash weakening her more and more.

Hyperion grinned maniacally, "Remember the last time I tried to curse you, your guardian saved you from it? Looks like no one will save you now." He started chanting in the tongue of the Titans, and Artemis recoiled from the glowing Titan. Already she felt pain, even when the curse wasn't finished. She let out a bloodcurdling scream when it intensified. Hyperion just smiled in glee and continued chanting.

_Help me, please. Anyone._

Suddenly, the sky illuminated a bright green light, and Hyperion faltered. The constellation of the Warglaives shown bright red, before disappearing from view. Hyperion just looked amused by it.

Artemis let out a choked sob at the thought of Perseus forever forgotten. Hyperion was just about to continue chanting before an unearthly roar tore through the sky. A meteorite, falling dangerously fast, was aimed at Hyperion. Before he could jump away, it collided with a force equal to Atlas' curse. A large crater formed where it had hit, and the clearing shook from the power. Nearby monsters disintegrated instantly, while the hunters and demigods were pelted by rocks. Unfortunately, Hyperion was still standing. He looked somewhat pissed off at the fact it was interrupted again. That was, until he recognized something he thought he would never see again.

The black object at the center of the crater shifted, and opened up. That was when everyone realized that the meteorite wasn't a meteorite after all.

His black leathery wings which were wrapped around him, forming a cocoon, slowly unfolded themselves. His hellfire eyes were covered by a midnight blindfold, although you could still see the fire behind them. His warglaives, instead of their brilliant aura of white, was covered with lethal green poison that dripped onto what remained of the grass, burning them. His black armour, with sea-green tints at the edges, was covered in scars from previous battles.

Perseus Jackson, the cursed Great Hero, had returned from his 450 years of death. But he was nothing like Artemis had remembered. He had no mercy or kindness in his stance. He did not acknowledge her or the Hunt, his gaze only upon his mortal enemy; Hyperion.

Hyperion snarled at the sight of the hero. "Looks like we meet again, Guardian of the Hunt."

He didn't reply. The tension in the atmosphere was so thick, it almost choked Artemis, as both formidable warriors stared each other down.

"What's the matter, _Guardian_? Too scared to defend your mistress after your death?" Hyperion laughed, trying to throw a facade of bravado, but his insides were churning with shock. _He should have been dead, that was what Kronos had promised to me!_

Attempting to trick Perseus, Hyperion took out a small dagger and threw it at the moon goddess. But even he was shocked by what Perseus did. The Hero took out a warglaive and threw it in front of Artemis. The dagger was cut in half, and when it fell to the ground the acid ate it away until there was nothing left. The warglaive continued on its path, rendering a path of destruction in the monsters before returning to Perseus like a boomerang, which he smoothly caught and locked onto his back.

"A warrior does not fight using tricks. A warrior does not use weaknesses to overcome someone in single combat. A warrior does not let his mouth show his skills, but his weapon. What are you, Hyperion?" His voice was cold and uncaring. It brought a cold chill to everyone's spine. "All I see is a being with power, but does not know how to use it. I see instead of a man in front of me, a coward. I see an enemy, who is still shivering in his shoes for fear of losing again." He paused. "A warrior is one who fights for what is right, not for own personal desires. If you are a warrior, prove it."

With those words, Perseus Jackson charged with his demonic energy, the talons on his wings poised above him, ready to strike down, his warglaives dripping poison as he ran.


	3. An Old Friend

**A/N: Been a while since my previous update, and for that I apologize. Schoolwork has started piling in, and sadly, my motivation has left me for a few days. Don't worry though; I'll do my best to continue updating regularly.**

**Thanks for all the reviews and feedback. To be blunt, I'm quite surprised that my first story got as much reviews. Thanks, and happy writing.**

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><p><strong>An Old Friend<strong>

Loyalty, faithfulness, selflessness. Those were the traits a Guardian, a bodyguard should have demonstrated daily. To show undying loyalty to their charge, faithfulness in whatever they do, and selflessness in letting their goals and emotions above yours. Doing this meant risking your life for your master, no matter what may happen. Personal attachments to your charge was frowned upon; becoming too close leads to rash behaviour, endangering him or her.

A Guardian was a protector assigned to be a shield over another, be it a god, demigod, or mortal. To defend against threats, and help them in any way possible. Your master's command would be your law. You would follow and protect your master to the death, if needed.

Few would have given up everything to do what a Guardian would do. Over time, many Guardians who pledged themselves to be a loyal protector did not hold onto their word. They would flee, abandon their charge at desperate situations, or fail to heed warnings resulting in deaths. Small wonder that there were very few Guardians mentioned in olden tales. Actually, in truth, there was only one Guardian in the many centuries since the Age of the Gods began that did not stray and was acknowledged as a Hero.

Perseus Jackson. His name was whispered with awe in the godly world. In the 450 years of service to the Moon Goddess, he followed the code of the Guardian to the very letter. Nymphs, dryads, and goddesses would fawn over his very name. He was the very embodiment of what a Guardian should be. His name was whispered through Olympus, Earth, the Underworld and Tartarus with respect. Monsters would avoid him at all cost. He even saw eye-to-eye with Echidna, Mother of all Monsters.

The goddesses would envy Artemis, as well as be shocked at how she treated her protector. The Moon Goddess had been a harsh, cruel mistress to Perseus, leaving no room for enjoyment, tormenting Perseus every single chance she had. She despised him, because she thought that her father had assigned him to her because she was weak.

The Huntresses, though they did not show it visibly, felt pity for the Guardian. But he would not accept pity, he stood strong, and Artemis' verbal barbs did not affect him. He still followed Artemis as a loyal protector, watching over her and ensuring she did not get wounded. After several years, Artemis eventually showed a grudging respect towards Perseus, which soon developed into a shy affection.

Perhaps it started when Perseus took a deadly wound in his thigh for the goddess when she had been surrounded. Naturally, she was furious, furious that someone defended her. When the battle was over, she ranted and yelled at Perseus, saying that she was not as weak as her father thought her to be. Throughout it all, Perseus just watched his mistress straight in the eye, patting Skia's head. Artemis was inwardly desperate. She knew she was falling for him. She wanted him to yell, to curse, to retort, anything so that it might stop her loving him, but he refused to act out of line and anger the goddess. When her rant finished, Perseus simply nodded, and started bandaging his wound.

Artemis had given up trying to stop the inevitable, and concluded that she did love him. To Perseus' surprise, Artemis laid her hands upon the wound gently, and muttered a small healing incantation to accelerate the healing process. Perseus, needless to say, was shocked, and murmured a short thank you before leaving to process his thoughts.

From that day on, Artemis stopped treating Perseus so harshly, and through the next few decades, they worked together amiably. Perseus, however, was oblivious to Artemis' affections to him, and he would not have been able to return the love, because it would endanger the both of them into rash decisions.

When he died, Artemis felt her heart ripped apart and stomped on by a giant. She mourned his death for years before Hestia counselled Artemis, giving her comfort and guidance. Even though she returned to her duties, every day, before and after her duties for the moon, she would gaze at his warglaives in the sky a last time before the dawn took over. She ached with heartbreak and regret.

But here he was again. Alive and breathing, but still cursed in his form. He was once again charging an enemy who harmed his mistress, and with his new form, he was terrifying.

Hyperion stood his ground, angling his sword to defend himself from Perseus' charge, as well as stab the Guardian in the stomach. However, Perseus with his new tricks was more than what the Titan could handle. Throwing his warglaive in his left hand, Hyperion was forced to step several steps back and quickly change grip to block the flying weapon, but that left him open for Perseus' right warglaive. It sheared through the Titan's armour like paper, cutting his hip to his stomach. The Titan's ichor dripped down sluggishly.

Retreating, Hyperion swung his sword in a large horizontal arc, which would have cleaved Perseus in half if not for his quick reactions and his wings giving him the extra momentum. The left warglaive he threw before returned to his hand once more.

"Don't just stand there, ATTACK HIM!" Hyperion bellowed at his forces, while channelling a few healing magic onto his wound. Hordes of _dracanae_ charged with spears forward, Stymphalian birds dove from the trees, and Laistrygonian giants bent their bows or lifted their clubs.

_There's no way that Perseus can win against all of that!_ Artemis thought, but her thoughts ceased when Perseus once again revealed another trick. Slamming his right fist into the ground, a shockwave of rocks flew forward and smashed into the charging _dracanae_, as well as block the vision of the giants in the back. Charging forward, he smashed into the phalanx and started a path of destruction. His attacks were wild but precise, every moment used to kill or wound a monster. Spinning around, he released both of his warglaives at once, picked up a spear from a fallen _dracanae_, and started to sweep it around, once again continuing the path of destruction.

Dr. Thorn, the manticore, who was at the back of the forces, suddenly unleashed a string of spikes. Not batting an eye, the Guardian did one last sweep and threw his spear, intercepting the spikes and forcing the manticore to dodge. His warglaives, which had created its own path of death, returned at the same time to him, and he fought once more. His wings shielded his back from arrows as well as the pecks from the Stymphalian birds, but at the same time, the talons tore open the hearts of the monsters behind him.

"Enough games!" Perseus yelled, and this time slammed both his fist down onto the ground. The earth shook and split, and black, unholy limbs reached up and speared the monsters, turning them all into golden dust, except for several lucky ones.

Hyperion, by now, had healed sufficiently to duel Perseus once more. He stepped in and with his large broadsword, swung it in a vertical arc, forcing Perseus to dodge to the side. Not pausing, the Titan then swung it smoothly into a horizontal swipe, which caught Perseus by surprise. Perseus was blown back by the force of the strike, his armour broken at where the sword had connected, and smashed into several trees, before flipping into a kneeling position. Red blood poured out, by Perseus was merely stood up, and the two warriors charged once again.

Hyperion had the strength and size for his advantage, but Perseus had his speed and cunning to counter the Titan's. For every blow against Perseus, the Titan received three, albeit weaker, but painful nonetheless. They fought for what seemed like hours, but in reality, was only a few minutes.

Finally, Perseus managed to find a hole in Hyperion's guard, and sliced the face of the Titan, from the left eye to the right cheek. The acid on Perseus' warglaive seeped into the wound, burning the immortal flesh.

Hyperion roared, and blasted Perseus back once more, before flashing out in his immortal form. The few remaining monsters fled as well, which unfortunately included Dr. Thorn. The destroyed clearing was levelled. Where trees once stood were burning stumps, and the normally grassy area was covered in ashes and golden dust. All that was left was the Moon Goddess, the Huntresses, the Guardian and the demigod group that was in Westover Hall earlier.

Perseus was wounded and bled almost everywhere, but he still showed a lot of stamina. Ignoring his wounds, he walked over to Artemis and cut the ropes that bound her. Artemis' eyes were shining with love, sympathy and concern, but he didn't seem to notice that, he only had eyes for the many wounds on her body.

"P- Perseus?" Artemis questioned timidly, hoping in her voice as well as concern.

He didn't answer, only looked up once, before focusing on the wounds. Before Artemis could stop what he was doing, he muttered a phrase in Greek: "_Mazi dikos dynami kathos ena kidemonas, ego thysiazo dikos yparxi eis pairno tis pligis"_.*

Wounds on the goddess' body suddenly disappeared, and the goddess no longer felt pain. Instead, Perseus stiffened, turned, and spat out blood into ashes. Artemis gasped at the realization; Perseus had taken all her wounds and placed it on himself! With all the wounds he gained already from the battle, Perseus would be wounded heavily and he could die from blood loss.

Perseus stood up and walked over to the other bound people. His warglaives expertly cut through all the ropes without any of the acid burning the prisoners. The demigod group found themselves flinching when he was walking to them, while the Huntresses remained immobile, just watching the one they called a brother.

Many of the huntresses in the group had lived to see Perseus before he was cursed, but some did not and they found themselves breathing with fear, which was not shameful, since with his new form he towered above the rest of them, and his eyes, or where his eyes were supposed to be, were full of hellfire. The blindfold around them didn't help as well; the fire burned through them, but surprisingly the blindfold was intact.

Artemis, who was still quite confused about the recent turn of events, suddenly assumed her leadership position. "Hunters, set up camp and treat the demigods with hospitality. I need to talk with... Perseus..." The being in question simply looked at her (although how he did, Artemis had no idea) with hellfire orbs and nodded. Standing up, he walked over to his mistress. They left the clearing, but not before hearing the Poseidon camper say "What the hell is going on here?" before getting shushed by the lieutenant Zoe.

The two powerful beings walked in silence, like they once had four and a half centuries ago. They would have made a strange sight to many people. The twelve year old goddess with her silvery outfit and bow, and the huge armour clad warrior with hellfire eyes and black wings that towered above her. Once they reached a distance for from the camp, they stopped and faced each other.

The goddess tenderly stroked her small hand against Perseus' cheek, tears started to form in her eyes. Unexpectedly, she quickly slapped him across the cheek, which took Perseus by surprise. Holding his hand to where it hit, he looked at the goddess and was about to retort before she interrupted.

"How? Why? I thought you were dead! I held you in my arms when you were wounded, bleeding and dying. I saw you take your last breathe and when your body become limp! I..."

For the first time in centuries, Artemis, the Goddess of the Hunt, Wild and Moon, cried. But this time, there was someone who was willing to be with her in her sorrow. There was a shoulder for her to cry onto. Someone to comfort her.

The Guardian tenderly wrapped his arms around her waist while she sobbed quietly on his shoulder, rubbing circles on her back, calming and relaxing her. His wings spread and formed a barrier around them, protecting the goddess.

This went on for several minutes before Artemis managed to compose herself. Shameful, she tried to wipe away her tears before the Guardian could see it. Perseus raised an eyebrow.

"Milady, tears do not show weakness. They show your courage and strength that you are not afraid to cry and express your emotions. To be without fears and weakness, you must first experience them. You cannot learn if you have no weakness, you cannot be brave without fear."

Artemis chuckled. "You are barely back for two hours and already you are spouting philosophical quotes."

"I am your guardian, am I not? I will help you in your path, as ironic as it seems. A demigod guiding a goddess." He grinned, before quickly turning his head away.

"Tell me, how did you come back? I thought you were gone forever."

Perseus smiled again. "Well, milady, it is a long tale, so you might as well make yourself comfortable. Let me ask you, do you remember the day I was pledged as your Guardian?"

"Like it was yesterday." She murmured.

"_But father, I don't need a protector! I am not weak!" Artemis yelled._

"_Dear daughter, I know that you think you are strong, but I have to make sure you are safe!"_

"_But why a Guardian? And out of all the people available, why him? I will not be protected by a boy!"_

"_Artemis, why do you object to this? I already told you, I want you to be safe, and to do that I have to get a Guardian!"_

_Off to the side, Perseus was standing awkwardly in the throne room. Thank the gods that there were only a few gods present; Zeus, Artemis, Hestia, and Poseidon. It would have been quite embarrassing if the entire council was there watching the King and his daughter quarrel._

_Zeus and Artemis were glaring daggers at each other, and if looks could kill... wow. Hestia was, as usual, tending to the hearth of Olympus, but at the same time watching Perseus. His father, Poseidon, also watched, but his eyes showed boredom. This probably happened on a daily basis._

_He shifted uneasily, until Hestia caught his eye and smiled, giving him the confidence and the patience to wait out the argument. Poseidon watched confused at this small interaction, but dismissed it as one of Hestia's powers to comfort people when they needed it. Meanwhile, the argument continued, and the sound of it escalated until both gods were yelling. 'Wonder if a god's voice ever cracks if they yell too loud,' Perseus wondered idly._

_Several hours have passed, but the argument had finally finished. 'About time', Perseus thought. Artemis glared daggers at him, and he shifted uneasily and averted his gaze elsewhere, anywhere but her._

_Zeus sighed again. "Artemis, quit being a child. If anything you are only making me even more worried about you. And don't interrupt me Artemis. Anyways, Perseus, please, take the Guardian's oath to your new master."_

_Artemis looked extremely, extremely pissed. Perseus swallowed, and kneeled before the goddess. "I, Perseus Jackson, Son of Poseidon, pledge to defend Artemis, the Moon Goddess, with all I have to offer. I surrender my body and soul to protect my lady, Artemis, from any threat of danger. I offer my life to protect hers, and will use everything I have to be a Guardian. In front of the Fates, I pledge my eternal service to the safety of Artemis."_

"You know what happens from there, my lady. After I pledged myself to you as your Guardian, we set off, and though we did not get along at first, we managed to smooth things out."

"That still doesn't explain how you are here. Your soul was incinerated, and your body burned and buried in the Garden of the Gods." Artemis said quietly.

"As impatient as ever I see. Several centuries and you still have not lost your old traits."

"Old habits die hard, don't they? Now, continue your story."

"Hyperion's curse would have killed a demigod and incinerated the soul. I, however, was different from a normal demigod. I was a Guardian who swore eternal service to you. But, I also had help from my godly patron."

"Patron? Who? You never told me you had one."

"I believe you know. Hestia. Her powers over the flame prevented my soul from being destroyed into oblivion. Furthermore, my pledge to you, of eternal service, meant in life as well as death. I was still injured, however. My soul was sent to the stars to recover. My body was buried in the Garden of the Gods, but Hestia sent it back up as well. When I recovered, which took around 400 years, my soul and body was reunited. My body was still in the form I am in now, but I trained daily so I could one day return to you. However, in the realm of Ouranos, I was not able to leave until you called to me for help. So for fifty years I watched over you from the stars. When you called to me for help when you were being wounded by Hyperion, I was finally able to escape my bonds and return to you."

Artemis was silent for several minutes while pondering on this. Before slapping Perseus hard on the cheeks again.

He flinched. "Has this become a habit to you as well? Slapping your protector every time I talk and explain to you?"

"Why did you hide so many secrets from me? You never told me that Hestia was your patron! It could have explained so much, why she was grieving with me, why she assisted me, and why we had such a close relationship!"

"Are you saying that you don't like her?"

"Nothing like that, but why did you not just tell me?"

"Do you think Zeus would have been pleased to hear that not only has his daughter is associated with his brother's son, a hero, but also his sister, Hestia?"

"Not so much, I guess... but it is good to see you again Perseus."

"You as well. It has been too long since I have talked and seen you."

"But how do you see? Your eyes were burned out, weren't they?"

He sighed. "I can still see... it is just damaged a bit. Instead of seeing, I sense, and after years of training and living like this, I can 'see' much better than I could before. I can count the strands in your hair, the dirt in your nails, and a huntress in the tree, 60 degrees to our left, and is upside down and about to fall."

As if on cue, Zoe dropped out of the tree, flipping gracefully and landing as quiet as a bird. "I see thou still call us as Huntresses. Why not just Hunters? Tis' more simple, and that is what we are named after." She smiled once before stepping up and wrapping her arms around the Guardian. "It has been a long, long time, brother."

"You as well, sister. I still see that you enjoy eavesdropping on conversations and neglecting some of Artemis' orders."

"Surprisingly, I have not disobeyed once since thou left. This is the first time in centuries."

Artemis and Perseus laughed, while Zoe just smiled in embarrassment. "It's true; this has been the first since she disobeyed. There were no pranks, no sudden food fights, and random yells of _'Typhon is back!_'She hasn't been this happy since you died." Artemis said.

"Guess I should stay away more often so you can be an angel again, Zoe." Percy replied. "We should be getting back to camp. Your huntresses and the demigods are bound to be curious."

With that, the three figures walked slowly back to camp, enjoying the silence between them.

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><p><em><strong>*Under my power as a guardian, I sacrifice my being to take her wounds. <strong>_**Please note it might not be an accurate translation.**

**Please note, I will try and update more often, but I am a 'perfect freak', so I normally finish a story in 2-3 days, and 2 days to review and edit my stuff. I'll try and be faster. Anyways, have a good day, Happy Hunting.**

**Ken**


	4. Welcoming the Hero

**A/N: Trying my best to keep my promise of weekly updates, I might try sooner if things permit me, but with school exams right around the corner, it's not easy. Anyways, thanks for your support, and although I sometimes may not reply to your reviews, I greatly appreciate them. PS, send some opinions on what you would like to happen next. This story will be somewhat related to Titan's Curse, but with noticeable differences. Anyways, to clear up some confusion, Perseus' image is similar to Illidan Stormrage from Warcraft, only without the skin colour, claws and horns difference. Zoe and Perseus have a brother/sister relationship, no intimate romance (Although it's a promising story). Ages: Michael – 14. Annabeth – 14. Thalia – 15. Nico – 10. Bianca – 12.**

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><p><strong>Welcoming the Hero<strong>

"So let me get this straight. Perseus Jackson, the Hero of Heroes, the Guardian of the Moon Goddess, and the most respected demigod in the entire history of the world, is that huge guy with the wings and fire-eyes and acid warglaives?"

Phoebe bashed her head against the tree she was leaning on. "I have told you this so many times already. Yes, he is _the_ hero that you heard about in the stories. Boys." She muttered.

"Just can't believe that the hero is a monster."

A dozen pair of eyes fixed their murderous gaze upon the arrogant sea spawn, Michael Smith. "Another word, or comment like that, we will litter your bodies with arrows, and cut and feed your remains to our wolves and his hellhound Skia!" She threatened venomously.

The large hellhound immediately growled and strolled over to Michael, watching every move. Petrified, Michael could do nothing but stare back in fear. All of a sudden, laughter could be heard approaching the camp. Artemis emerged from the bushes smiling. Zoe came out next, her expression the same. Finally, the tall hero stepped into sight, his face grinning at a story that he heard from Zoe. He shook his head in an attempt to hide his smile, but it only succeeded in making the other two girls laugh more.

"Shame on you Zoe. You went easy on that boy."

"What are you talking about? I only shot and pinned him to the wall after slicing his pretty face a couple of times."

"Exactly. What happened to the warmonger Zoe, who enjoyed fighting so much, that she had to be held back before she would stop attacking?"

"Well, that stopped after the time I saw-"

His eyes widened. "No, no, please don't. Keep that to yourself, I actually want to rest well tonight instead of shudder every few seconds at that mental image."

Artemis laughed, her voice instantly raising the moods of every person in the clearing. Her laughter was rarely heard nowadays. "Barely back, and already the Hunt is returning to what it was centuries ago." She murmured to herself.

Skia launched herself from where she was watching Michael and tackled Perseus to the ground. It was a humorous sight. A canine the size of a truck charging the Guardian, who suddenly had to brace himself for the impact. He slid back several feet, his foot digging into the dirt, while the hellhound's tongue attacked his body.

"Holy crap! When did you get this big Skia?" He managed, between the excessive lickings, while rubbing the head of the hellhound.

The entire Hunt laughed as they watched the Guardian get overrun by his faithful pet. The demigods and satyr, especially the new demigods that were in Westover Hall, watched with wide eyes at the surreal sight. A monstrous hellhound, with an equally monstrous being, joking around while the Hunt watched gleefully.

'_If I recall, the two new demigods are Bianca and Nico di Angelo,'_ Artemis thought. As much as she enjoyed the reunion, she had to remember her duty as a goddess. "Bianca and Nico. Please come with me, we have much to discuss. Satyr, watch over your friends. Hunters, prepare for the evening." She left shortly afterwards into her tent.

Bianca and Nico followed her quickly, while Grover tended to the wounds of Annabeth and Michael. The huntresses began their daily routine of preparing their dinner and feeding the wolves and falcons that followed them. That left Perseus Jackson. He followed his mistress and began to stand guard outside her tent, his wings spread out, covering the front entrance while crossing his arms. His began his silent vigil as he once did long ago.

"How quickly things fall back to routine, don't they, brother?" Elissa and Kate inquired, while they cooked the meat they hunted a day ago. "It seems like they were never gone. Sorry that we cannot make you more welcome."

"Indeed, sisters. And no need for apologies. I prefer this better. No massive celebration or sudden events that would turn the Hunt upside down. Just falling back into a cycle that we did a long time ago. Now tell me, what has happened during the years I was gone. I may have been watching for the past fifty years in the sky, but I feel left out of loop."

"Only if you tell your own stories, brother."

He chuckled. They spent the next half hour conversing and updating each other during their duties. Perseus halted for a few moments when Nico left the tent, extremely confused. Zoe and Michael entered a few seconds later, with Zoe hugging Perseus before entering, while Michael shot a glare at the Guardian.

"Who's him?" Perseus asked Kate. "Oh, don't worry. That's the only son of Poseidon, besides you, since World War II, because of the oath that they swore on the Styx. He's a stubborn, conceited brat who thinks too highly of himself because he recovered the Fleece from Polyphemus' island, as well as the Master Bolt."

He raised an eyebrow (or what was left of them anyways). "How did we lose the Fleece and Bolt? Wait, on second thoughts, never mind. Guess Zeus lost his bolt again. No offense, Lord, Zeus." He said to the sky.

By now, Elissa and Kate had finished their cooking and were eating and sitting on a log near Perseus. Several other hunters also paused in their duties to greet their brother.

Alice and Selena, twin sisters who had lived to see Perseus before he died, had also finished their work and were watching him. "How do you see?" "How did you survive?" "Whoa, those wings are cool!" "Hey, look at the warglaives!" Their questions were shot off in a speed equivalent to a machine gun. This conversation continued for quite a while before Artemis, Bianca and Michael emerged from the tent. "Hunters, welcome our newest sister, Bianca di Angelo."

Immediately hunters crowded around their newest addition and brought her into another nearby tent. Michael and Thalia stared viciously at the group, while Nico looked pained and hurt at her seemingly betrayal. Annabeth and Grover looked uncomfortable with the situation. They were so caught up in their actions, they didn't notice Perseus walking up to them.

The moment Perseus patted Nico on the back, he gave a yelp of surprise, and jumped a meter into the air, causing the rest of the group to draw their weapons. "What ails you, young one?"

Nico's eyes grew wide at the huge being that towered above him. "Um, I- um... I don't... know?" he stuttered.

"If you do not know why you are sad, then why are you sad? A reason there is, for everything."

"He's sad, because that bunch of whiny girls took his sister!" Michael interrupted viciously. He wanted to taunt the greatest hero. _'Surely I can do better than him. I am the greatest hero in this time anyways.'_ He thought to himself.

The Guardian did not respond to the threat, instead just raised his fiery eyes to glare at his 'brother', before turning his gaze down to Nico. "Young one, the Hunt did not take your sister away. They merely gave her a home, a place where she could fit in."

"But she left me! How could she be so selfish?"

"Selfish? If anything, it is you that is being selfish. Tell me, in all your years together, has she ever been given a time for her own? Most likely not, since she spent her time watching and caring for you. Her freedom was used to take care of you and your own needs. You should be glad that your sister is finally at peace, and can act her age."

Nico seemed taken aback by the sudden realization from a different point of view. It was true. Bianca had always taken care of him first. She was anything but selfish. He felt ashamed that he was too possessive for his sister. "I'm just worried about her and myself. It's the first time that we will be split apart for so long."

"Don't worry about it. Besides, the hunters will visit camp regularly, so you can meet up anyways."

"You mean Camp Half-Blood? So all that stuff was true?"

"Every part of it. If you want more details, just ask your friends here. They'll understand and can explain it better than me. Anyways, get ready for sleep, we'll wake up early next morning for you to get to Camp Half-Blood."

"How?"

"The sun god." He stated, his face not betraying any emotion. Nico's jaw dropped when he said it.

With that, Perseus started walking away. Michael still glared at his back, but the rest of the demigods seem to watch him with a sense of awe. He really was just like the campfire stories. While he was walking, he passed by Bianca, who subconsciously moved a little to the side out of uneasiness. "Welcome to the Hunt, sister." He greeted.

Taken aback, she managed to form and weak reply. "You as well... brother...?"

"You might want to greet your real blood brother about your decision. And do not worry; I assure you that he will not hate you for your decision. If anything, he will be happy for you."

Walking away, he left a stunned Bianca, before she continued on her path, mulling over her thoughts. Perseus grinned. It had been a while since he died, but he still understood how new huntresses would have uncertain thoughts. Many of the huntresses always did, and that resulted in them being cold and harsh, keeping their emotions inside which would eventually lead to their downfall.

By now, the majority of the huntresses had retired to their tent. Lights started to dim, and chatter soon retreated into a blissful silence. Beating his new wings a few times, he jumped straight up and landed upon a lone tree without making a sound. He began his watch for the night, and his eyes roamed left and right. His armour and wings helped him blend into the night sky and trees, and if anyone looked in his direction, they would not have spotted anything out of the ordinary.

Artemis watched him as he stood guard over the Hunt. She smiled, before she too returned to her tent. She pondered over the words of Bianca and Michael during their stay in Westover Hall and what the manticore, Dr. Thorn, had said.

'_The Great Stirring. That's what he said. The stirring of monsters, the worst of them, and the most powerful are waking, though I have no idea what he meant.'_ _Bianca said._

"Time to hunt again," Artemis said to herself. It was her duty to put down the most dangerous of monsters with her Hunt, but this time, she feared for her hunters. They had become like a close family, her hunters like the daughters that she could never have. She loathed putting them in danger, which was why she was sending her hunters back to the Camp with the demigods, while she hunted by herself.

But that brought about a new challenge. Perseus would not leave her side, and time after time, he would sacrifice his safety for hers. The fact that the last time Perseus had died when he protected her, and just recently been wounded by Hyperion, made her feel guilty, and the thought of her beloved dying again hurt her more. She would bring the entire Hunt and demigods to the Camp, and during the night, she would slip away from her sisters and Guardian to hunt the elusive beast. _"Yes, that would do,"_ Artemis thought.

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><p><em>Next day, early morning<em>

The dawn rose agonizingly slow for the huntresses, while the demigod group had only just started waking up. Looking around, they could find no sign of Perseus. Artemis and Zoe, meanwhile, were impatiently tapping their foot waiting for the Moon Goddess' twin, Apollo.

"Hey, Zoe-whats-your-name, where's the huge Guardian guy?" Thalia yelled from across the clearing, while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Zoe's eyes wandered across the clearing, searching for the being. She blinked. How did a huge person like Perseus disappear?

"I have no idea..." Zoe replied. "My lady, can thou-?"

"Yes, he's here. He's just gotten better at his skills." The goddess grinned. "C'mon Perseus, you can stop your watch, it's almost morning anyways."

Everyone watched the goddess in confusion, and in doing that failed to see an object detach itself from a tree. Perseus leapt several meters into the air, his wings changing his course, and landed right next to the goddess, barely making a sound and surprising the rest. A small scream came out from the demigod group, but the rest just stared wide-eyed.

"You called, mistress?" He inquired, completely unaware of the scene he caused. Artemis shook her head and laughed softly. "Honestly, you couldn't have just climbed down and walked?"

"Now where would the fun be in that?" He replied, while stretching and cracking several bones from not moving for so long.

Before she could reply, Apollo's chariot arrived. Everyone had to avert their eyes to prevent the light from burning their eyes out. Well, except for Perseus and Artemis. Apollo got out of his flashy sports car and was about to greet Artemis with their usual banter when his eyes caught sight of the person next to him. It was a humorous sight actually, to see his jaw drop and stare blankly for half a minute. Perseus shifted uncomfortably. Artemis literally had to wave her hand in front her twin's face for several seconds before he managed to catch himself. The rest of the Hunt grinned at the sight of Apollo being shut up.

"Hello? Brother? Helloooo... Olympus to Apollo, do you read me?" Artemis spoke into his ear.

"Huh? What?" He replied, before focusing his curious gaze upon Perseus. "Wait, how is he here again? I feel like I'm missing something extremely important here..."

"Nice to see you too, Lord Apollo." Perseus said. "I can see you still, unfortunately, have the same personality as you had centuries ago." He said in a sarcastic but humoured tone.

Apollo's face grew into a grin, his white teeth almost blinding everyone. "Damn bro, guess even death can't stop you. But what the Hades you doing here? I swear to the gods you are the most unusual person I've ever come across."

Artemis face-palmed. "I'll explain it when you are driving us to Camp, alright? It's a long story, so please, do your magic with your car and let the hunters in."

"Yeah... sure... One problem, how is Perseus gonna fit? I mean, with his wings and height and all, he's gonna have a hard time getting into the bus, let alone sitting."

"Ah, don't worry about it Apollo, I'll just fly there."

Apollo's grin widened even more (if that was possible). "No way, you gotta let me see how fast you fly. I swear, after this we're gonna have a race round the globe to see how fast you are, and then-"

Artemis kicked Apollo on the shins. Hard. "Brother, we can do this later, now come on, let's go."

"Ow, yea sure whatever sis. I swear you enjoy beating me up. Anyways, let's go." He turned his car into one of those huge tour buses, with forty soft seats and a bathroom. "Alright everyone, load up, time to go. Anyways, which one of you demigods want to drive the bus?"

While Apollo was choosing the driver (or is it a pilot, since it's a flying bus?), Artemis walked up to Perseus, who had started stretching and testing his wings. His wingspan was double his height, but for some reason, when folded, it seemed much more smaller than it was. "Are you sure you can keep up with this, Perseus? You do realize that Apollo has been speeding up his driving since the last century, right?"

"Relax, mistress. I can keep up. The real problem is how you and your huntresses hold your stomach."

"What?"

Artemis followed Perseus' gaze, onto the daughter of Zeus, Thalia. Who was getting paler by the second, while Apollo was giving a crash course on the driving. Annabeth seemed to be doing the same, since she knew Thalia's fear of heights.

"Oh."

"You couldn't have chosen a better word if you have tried." Perseus commented.

"Hey, Arty, let's go, can't keep the sun waiting," Apollo yelled from where he was standing, before entering the bus himself.

"Wish you luck, milady."

"I'll need it." Artemis replied gravely, and then sitting with her hunters at the back.

Apollo popped his head out of the window. "Perseus!" He bellowed. "I'm giving you a head start so you don't whine when me and Thalia beat you!"

Perseus nodded. Not waiting for Apollo's mark, he beat his wings once, before launching himself upwards, powerfully beating his wings while using some unholy fel magic to streamline his body and fly faster. To the audience in the bus, all they would have seen was a black blur, and then the space that was occupied by Perseus was suddenly empty. Apollo's eyes widened. "Thalia, GO!"

Thalia floored the pedal so violently, the clearing was burnt to ashes. She had a death grip on the wheel, and her eyes shown with fear, but her competitive spirit managed to keep her in focus. Narrowing her eyes against the black dot that was Perseus, she shifted gear and the bus moved even faster. Apollo was blown back against and smashed his godly body against the emergency exit at the back of the bus.

"Thalia, calm down!" Annabeth yelled, desperately clinging onto the back of the seat in front of her.

"No way, I gotta beat that guy!" Thalia yelled back, oblivious to the discomforts of her passengers. She turned violently to the right, and the passengers all flew and hit the window. Artemis winced painfully. '_Guess we found an even more crazy driver than you Apollo'_ She broadcasted to her twin.

'_Yea, bad idea, I know.'_

'_Gee, you think?'_

Apollo was about to retort before Thalia turned sharply to the other direction, and once again the passengers held on for dear life.

Perseus was still flying, and glancing behind him, saw the sun god's chariot swerving left and right in an attempt to keep up with him. He grinned, before speeding up. Thalia growled in frustration.

"Hey Thalia, might want to ease up on the pedal? Y'know? 'Cause we do have passengers and stuff so-"

"Shut it Sunny." Thalia yelled back, and somehow managed to make the bus move faster.

To the mortals, all they would have seen was a sudden flash of light, and then everything would be intensely hot, and stuff would start to burn. The group wrecked a path of burning hot temperatures on the way to Camp Half Blood.

Perseus, seeing the camp, suddenly dive-bombed, landing next to the canoes and scaring the crap out of many campers. Thalia, meanwhile, had no chance of doing that, and slammed her foot against the pedal. The bus tilted forward so much, it dove headfirst into the canoe lake, evaporating and creating a fine mist around the camp.

Apollo stepped out of the bus groggily, rubbing his head slightly. "Last time I ever let someone drive in a long while."

The emergency door was suddenly kicked out, and the hunters exited in a single line. Most of them looked slightly dizzy, but were in better shape than the demigods, who were bruised and battered from being in the front. Thalia, surprisingly was just fine, with the emergency airbag and all that.

Perseus laughed when he saw the sorry group stumble around getting their bearings, before helping several of them to their feet. The campers, which now numbered in dozens, were watching Perseus, their hands on their weapons at seeing this monster, but not drawing it out as the hunters and the gods were not attacking him.

Chiron cantered to the front of the group, and upon spotting Perseus, halted and froze, staring at him for a while. "Perseus? Is that really you?"

Campers gasped at that name, not believing that the tall being could be _the_ hero.

"Hello, old friend. Been a while, hasn't it?" Perseus folded his wings behind his back. "You won't believe the stories I have to tell you, and I've only been alive since yesterday night."

Chiron and Perseus, teacher and student, now stood facing each other, eye to eye. "Damn boy, you always were an overachiever before you were a Guardian. But what's with the eyes and wings?" Chiron said, while embracing Perseus. Perseus just chuckled. "All in due time, Chiron."

Chiron turned his attention to the bewildered demigods and hunters, and at the lack of water in the lake. "You have a lot of explaining to do, Perseus. Anyways, campers, return to your duties, all will be explained during dinner. Lady Artemis and Lord Apollo, a pleasure and an honour to see you. Please, make yourself at home. Artemis, your cabin is open for you and your hunters at any time."

Artemis nodded. "My thanks, Chiron. Zoe, will you lead the hunters to the cabin and set up? I have to talk with my brother about his choice of... transportation."

Apollo visibly paled, while Zoe straightened and gave a small salute. "Of course, milady. Hunters, move out." They walked to their cabins, ignoring the glares from the Aphrodite cabin. Bianca stayed with Nico, exchanging a short conversation, before she left with a smile on her face. Nico, although somewhat saddened from their separation, was happy for his sister.

Perseus' hellfire orbs scanned the camp. There had been some changes, but there were still visible landmarks. Zeus' fist, the entrance of the labyrinth, and the hilltop and lake. Or, what was left of it. He sighed contentedly.

'_Welcome home,' _Hestia, his patron spoke in his mind. '_Welcome home, Perseus.'_


	5. The Hero's Worth

**A/N: Hey everyone, my sincere apologies for not updating for almost four weeks now. But as I said before, with the exams in school, I had to drop everything and cram for the exam. Hell, my last school day was last Monday/Tuesday. Anyways, I will 'probably' have more time to update during July, but not as much as I did during May, since I have volunteer services. Anyways, I once again apologize for not updating for a long time, and hopefully, I'll start updating every weekend. **

* * *

><p><strong>The Hero's Worth<strong>

Over the years since Perseus 'died', Camp Half-Blood had changed a lot. When Perseus last visited, there were no cabins, or Big House, or Dining Pavilion. The forests and lake didn't exist, and neither did the campfire or Amphitheatre. What few campers there were lived in their own tents with their siblings, and they ate and gave sacrifices at the campfire. There was no curfew, but it was an unspoken agreement to sleep when it was around 10 to conserve their energy for the next day. The forest was only a field with a total of eight trees. Suffice to say, Perseus was unfamiliar with this new camp, yet curious at all the changes. The only thing that had stayed the same was Zeus' Fist, and the entrance of the Labyrinth.

He had walked around the camp, investigating everywhere. He delved into the deepest part of the forest, where even the largest hellhound or harpy stayed away from him. He flew in the air next to several Pegasus, who (unlike the campers) had been at ease with him because he was a son of Poseidon, as well as a member of the Hunt. He had climbed the Climbing Wall, with the flowing lava and random crushes with ease, and talked to his patron, Hestia, at the campfire.

Finally, he returned back to Artemis, who was still... 'talking' with Apollo's choice of transportation. If talking meant using a knife and holding under someone's chin, that is. "Hello Perseus. How was your tour around camp?" Artemis inquired, while still holding the knife under Apollo's chin.

"It seems much more... different. Chiron has been busy with upgrading this camp from what it used to be." Perseus replied.

"Hey sis, any chance you can let me go now, 'cause I still need to do more daily duty as the sun god and stuff, sooo...?"

Artemis glared at her twin brother for several seconds, before sheathing her knife. Apollo barely wasted a second and flashed himself, and his wrecked 'sun' bus, to Zeus-knows-where. Artemis looked amused by her brother's reactions, and let a small smirk show on her lips. "So, what do you need Perseus?"

"Forgive me for asking, milady, but when we arrived, Chiron demanded I explain myself, and, well, I was hoping that you could be the one to explain it to him, since I'm not a good storyteller, and I'm bound to make a mistake, and-"

"Say no more, Perseus. Relax, I will speak with him. Meanwhile, you go and do whatever you want. Go to the sword arena and train I guess."

"Sounds like a good idea. And my thanks, Artemis."

All the campers and hunters were still at the dining pavilion for lunch, which left Perseus able to practice by himself. Standing in the center of the arena, Perseus scanned the place for any witnesses. Satisfied, he held his right hand up, concentrated, and snapped his fingers. The sound echoed throughout the arena, cutting through the loud noises of the camp like a hot knife through butter. Perseus' body grew a dark, unholy colour. Suddenly, a second form stepped out of Perseus. It was identical to Perseus, only it looked like a shade, with gray and black colours all over it. The original Perseus had returned to its original colour.

The two identical warriors gave a small salute of respect at each other, clenching their fists and bringing it to their chest, before bowing once. They drew their warglaives at the same time, and settled into a battle stance. Several seconds passed as they stared at each other, before charging at the same time.

With around five centuries worth of training and combat, Perseus had become one of the Void's most powerful warriors. He had bested the war gods, Ares and Athena in a trial of single-combat at an age of sixteen, which was unheard of in his time. He had duelled Hyperion to the death to protect his mistress. With the knowledge of almost every combat weapon, Perseus' weapon skills were unmatched by the majority of the beings on Earth.

Perseus fought against his clone, and since they were both equal in both combat and mental skills, there was no clear victor in the fight. One would slice, and the other would dodge, and immediately counter-attack. There were counters, after counters, after counters. It became like a dance of death, where one would attack, the other defends, always switching positions. Once, they finally attacked at the same time, and locked their weapons together, using their strength to attempt to overpower the other. When that didn't work, they both disengaged and leaped backwards several feet, their wings giving them momentum. They took to the air, and engaged in an aerial combat, clashing their weapons while at the same time using their wings to dodge and find every advantage possible.

They went as high as the clouds, where Zeus watched in interest at the fight. When Apollo told him Perseus was back, Zeus was confused and almost didn't believe him. Except for the fact that Apollo rarely lies (surprisingly), and he was gifted with the power of prophecy. Zeus made a plan to contact the rest of the gods and inform them of Perseus' return.

The sight of the fighting Guardians in the air also attracted the crowd of demigods and hunters. They had finished their lunch, and the majority of them were starting to form a large circle around the duellists in the air.

Whispers of awe rose throughout the crowd as the fight escalated to godly proportions. Perseus and his clone suddenly sped up, so they soon became blurs as they flew and hit each other. The sound of clashing blades filled every second, never stopping for a moment, becoming a melody of steel on steel. The combat was almost impossible to track, even with Artemis' and Dionysus' eyes.

With one final smash from both competitors, the warglaives fell from the warriors, impaling the ground. They were left with their bare hands, but that didn't stop from continuing. They used everything they had in the many different types of martial arts, from karate to kung fu, CQC to Tae Kwon Do. Their arms and legs were blurs as they continued fighting in the air. The talons on the wings were also used to attempt to strike the enemy. With a roundhouse kick from both sides, they hit each other at the same time and flew back, before managing to halt the momentum and keep themselves in the air.

With the large distance between the two combatants, you would think that they would finally take a break and relax. Not so with Perseus and his clone. Both suddenly held out their hands, and an orb of pure ice formed in one, and an orb of water in the other. Hurling the ice orb at each other at the same time, the orb left between a trail of coldness, as well as enlarging itself with each second. When they hit each other, the size was larger than the Big House, and the ice orbs shattered into snow. Weaving their water orb, they hurled tendrils of water at each other, which were strong enough to cut right through a mountain. The aerial combat suddenly became a duel between magic.

It was here that Perseus and his clone started to think differently from each other and use different attacks. While his clone stayed with water-based attacks, Perseus started to use a fiery essence instead, thanks to Hestia as his patron. He heated the flame until the demigods far below could feel it, and threw it straight at his clone. The water tendrils were evaporated the moment they came with several metres, and the clone had no time to react. The fire essence smashed into him, hurling the clone back several yards away.

Before the clone could regain its composure, Perseus began charging an unholy magic, the same one that had helped speed up both Perseus and the clone in the fight earlier, as well as when Perseus fought Hyperion. When the clone finally came back, charging with a water lance towards Perseus, Perseus unleashed the magic. The unholy aura was released as a beam, darkness and emptiness in its wake. It sped almost instantly to the clone, who was unprepared for the assault. The beam went through the clone, burning and destroying the clone's body, and continuing its path. It smashed into a faraway hill, where it finally stopped. The clone froze in the air for several seconds, before falling and crashing into the sword arena.

Perseus slowly lowered himself from the air, tired from the training. Standing next to the clone's body, Perseus snapped his fingers again, and relaxed when the body of the clone evaporated into a mist, which Perseus absorbed. Feeling reinvigorated once again, Perseus picked up his fallen warglaives, and it was then he spotted the crowd he had attracted.

Demigods, nymphs and huntresses alike watched him with awe, many with gaping jaws. Chiron was looking shocked, while Dionysus mirrored his expression. Hestia was probably the only one who was the most composed out of all of them, but she had a look in her eyes that said _'You'll explain this later, alright?"_

Perseus decided the best thing to do here was to do what he used to do. Feign ignorance to the entire situation. "Something you want, Lady Artemis, Lady Hestia?" He inquired.

Everybody had different thoughts in their minds, unable to grasp the concept of the battle which Perseus had just displayed. Each thought in their minds were similar, all having to do with Perseus' recent 'training'.

'_Amazing.' _Artemis thought. _'If that is how he trains, small wonder he defeated Hyperion easily yesterday. But where did he get all his skills? Before he died, he was only skilled in weaponry, not in martial arts. His only elements that he was experienced in were water and ice, and that's because his father was Poseidon. Where did the fire and the unholy black aura come from? I must find out'_

The rest of the demigods stood uneasily, watching Perseus. Michael had intended to challenge Perseus to a duel, but now that he saw what Perseus could do...

Artemis stepped forward, with her hunting knives at her side, bow on her back. "How about a duel, Perseus? It has been a while since we last fought, and I wish to see how much you managed to improve." Demigods watched Artemis carefully, inwardly thinking that Artemis was crazy. They had just seen Perseus, the greatest demigod Hero and Guardian of all time, fight like a demon that was stronger than the strongest monster, and move faster than a god.

Perseus was inwardly surprised, but was expressionless on the outside. "As you wish, my lady." He spoke. Several female demigods were surprised by the soft yet strong voice that Perseus displayed. They had expected Perseus' voice to be filled with anger and hate.

The Guardian and the Moon Goddess walked to opposite sides of the arena. Once again, Perseus saluted, bringing his fist to his heart and bowing. Artemis merely nodded and drew her arm-long hunting knives, which glinted evilly in the sunlight. She spun them around once or twice, before calling out to her opponent. "Only close-ranged weaponry, no magic like you used just now, with the orbs and essences."

Perseus nodded, before gripping and pulling his warglaives out of his sheathe. The crowd now sat in the various seats around the arena. Chiron served as the referee during that round. "There will be two rounds, each with weapons of the combatant's choice. The first one to surrender loses the round. Both sides nodded. "Begin!" He bellowed.

Artemis dashed forward at the speed of light, maybe faster, with her knives out front, ready to attack with deadly accuracy. She threw several shurikens that were latched onto her hunting tunic. Perseus suddenly started slashing the air in front of him, which confused several onlookers, until they saw the pieces of the deadly flying objects on the ground, already starting to melt away with the acid. He charged at his mistress, his warglaives held in a strategic position that would protect him as well as prepare a counter. Ducking under the first attack from Artemis, he swiped at her midsection, forcing her to dodge before spinning and using his other warglaive with the momentum to smash at her other hunting knife. Luckily for Artemis, her hunting knives were immune to the acid, but that didn't stop the blow from pushing her back several metres, her feet digging into the ground. All this happened in less than two seconds, which only Hestia and Dionysus managed to catch with their eyes. The rest of the crowd had only seen two blurs smash into one another, and Artemis being forced back.

The two combatants started circling each other like predators. Artemis was half-crouched, her stance mirroring a feline ready to pounce, while Perseus stood, ready to charge or dodge at a moment's notice. This time, it was Perseus who charged. His attacks were continuous and fluid, never giving a moment of respite for Artemis. An overhead blow, one from the side, then crouching and swiping at her feet, followed by an uppercut. All this kept forcing Artemis to dodge, duck, jump and 'attempt' to block. She was surprised by the amount of skill that Perseus displayed. She was only able to dodge, just barely, because she was the goddess of Hunting, and her years of experience.

Perseus continued to attack until he realized that Artemis could keep this up all day. Jumping backwards, he threw his warglaives like a boomerang, both of them flying and spinning, hurling out acid everywhere, at a speed faster than a speeding car. Artemis' eyes widened, and she ducked under the first one, which unfortunately, cut some of her long auburn hair. The second one smashed into her side, but thanks to her quick reactions, she managed to minimize the damage by deflecting it, just barely. Unfortunately, the acid burned. _'Damn it. This hurts. A lot.' _

The warglaive she deflected imbedded itself into the ground, at least halfway in. The other one came back, and she was forced to dodge this time by jumping a metre off the ground to save herself. Despite the speed of the warglaive as it came back, Perseus managed to _somehow_ pick up the warglaive with no recoil, and without touching the poisonous blade. The onlookers looked on, sure that Perseus was now at a disadvantage with only one warglaive. Instead, he split apart the warglaive, and it now looked like he held two scimitars, each still with the deadly acid.

He now settled into the same stance as Artemis, with the new weapons. He still appeared confident, and that was because of his large range of weaponry skills. They closed in on each other, and their attacks suddenly became a blur of movement. Several minutes passed as they continued fighting, exchanging blow after blow. Finally, they locked their weapons together, and Perseus used this to his advantage. Using his large size and strength, he overpowered Artemis and her weapons, and then quickly followed up by disarming her, and holding a scimitar to her neck. "Do you surrender?" He asked softly. Artemis nodded, a reaction that was almost unnoticed because of the amount of space she was allowed to move. Perseus put his weapons back together, forming a warglaive once again. He picked up the warglaive that had fallen into the ground with ease.

"Round One goes to Perseus." Chiron said. "Round Two will begin in two minutes."

Perseus picked up one of the hunting knives, and handed it back to Artemis, hilt first. "What style of weaponry would you like to do next?" He inquired.

"Long-ranged, please. I was at a disadvantage with short-range. I'm more fitted for a bow."

"And your reputation speaks of it, my lady." Perseus replied. He agreed to the new style of combat, and then sheathed his warglaives on his back. Concentrating, he held out his left arm. Again, the black unholy aura showed and covered his left arm. It suddenly hardened into a shape. His arm now held a bracer of black metal. Pressing a symbol, it transformed into a medium sized crossbow, it's firing mechanism now modified to fit in Perseus' hand, and with a twitch of his thumb, it fired a bolt. His right arm also had a small circular shield, around 50 centimetres in diameter.

Satisfied, he nodded at Artemis, who had been watching him expectantly with her bow and arrow already in place. They both turned to Chiron, and gave him the _'I'm ready'_ signal. "Begin!" He bellowed once more.

Perseus wasted no time in firing his crossbow. He may have been skilled in all weapons, but he knew that Artemis completely dominated him in long-ranged weaponry. His crossbow did have several magical advantages, such as never having to reload, since the string pulls back and locks into place automatically. The bolts were of pure unholy essence, which allowed it to be formed instantly at a thought, making the crossbow's speed equivalent to a machine gun. Still not as fast as Artemis however. At her normal speed, it would seem like a stream of connected arrows.

Shooting a string of bolts with only around ten centimetres in between each of them, Perseus started advancing at a walking pace. Artemis dodged each bolt much easier than the first round, but even she was still surprised at the firing speed, until she caught sight of the crossbow reloading and forming an arrow by itself. Scowling, she shot four arrows at once. They cut through Perseus' bolts with ease, and forced Perseus to halt shooting and throw his shield in front of him. The strength of the arrows forced Perseus back several steps.

It was clear to the crowd who had the advantage this time. While Perseus' larger form and skill with the warglaives granted him the win in the first round, it was now a disadvantage against Artemis' smaller and more agile form. This allowed Artemis, to fire quickly before moving to a new location. This would have disorientated many foes. Even Perseus was somewhat shocked at the fast pace of arrows from seemingly nowhere. Every time he was ready to retaliate, Artemis was already gone, only several more arrows coming. And besides, his bolts would have been easily cut through by the strength of the arrows.

Muttering a curse, he took off his small shield on his right arm, and threw it like a discus against what he judged to be where Artemis would go next. True to his guess, Artemis arrived there and shot another three arrows, only to be cut in half by the flying shield. Artemis pulled a _Matrix_ dodge, barely ducking underneath the shield as it slammed into a wall, inches away from where Michael was. Narrowing her eyes, she shot several other arrows, now that it seemed like Perseus had no defence. Perseus charged forward, his crossbow shooting bolts and insane speeds, forcing Artemis to dodge and weave through them like it was a daily walk. Suddenly he arrived at an arm's length with Artemis. Using his talons on the wings, he started jabbing them like a scorpion's tail, coming front not just above, but from the sides, all the time shooting his crossbow.

He cornered Artemis towards a wall, but she literally just did a slide, baseball style, underneath him, and when he turned around, she was already on the other end of the arena, with close to twenty arrows flying at him. His eyes widened, as he caught the first three arrows as it flawlessly punched into his armour and scraped his skin on the inside, the force of the arrows pushing him into a kneeling stance. He closed his wings in a cocoon around him, and the next seventeen arrows just hit and bounced off it, each arrow also pushing back Perseus. Perseus sighed, and his wings opened. He ripped off the arrows in his armour, and presented a salute to Artemis, signifying his surrender. It was clear who the victor in this round would be.

Artemis walked over and grinned. Holding out her hand, Perseus accepted the gesture. "A good fight, my lady. It seems you are still superior over me in ranged combat."

"Just barely. You've trained a lot during your time with Ouranos."

"What else did you expect me to do during the fifty years in the sky? Watch over you every single second without any semblance of respect and privacy?"

Artemis narrowed her eyes and punched Perseus in the shoulder. "What did you say? Please tell me you had the decency to give me and my hunters 'private times' when we needed it?"

Perseus winced inwardly. Her punches were still as painful as they were. "Relax, mistress. I swear upon my Guardian Pact that I didn't watch you and your hunters with... you... um... your... private times...? Wait, you have private times now? What is it..."He cringed when Artemis' glare intensified. "Never mind, don't answer that. But seriously, relax. I don't watch you and your... stuff..." He finished awkwardly.

Artemis just smiled, and gestured towards the forest with a shake of her head. "C'mon, let's go. You seem to have a lot of catching up to do, and this time, I'll give you a real tour of the camp."

The crowd watched with admiration for both Artemis and Perseus as they exited the arena towards the forest, joking around like how friends would do. The huntresses were watching with amusement as they noticed the almost unnoticeable flirtatious nature that Artemis had started to display towards the oblivious Perseus.

Zoe smiled to herself, as she watched the two friends head into the forest. _'It's nice to see Artemis happy now.'_ She thought to herself. "Alright, hunters, let's go train." She led the group of hunters into the target range, while smiling inwardly.

Meanwhile, Chiron and the rest of the campers started to notice the different behaviour in the hunters. They seemed more joyful and carefree, and much more nice than normal. Michael walked up to Chiron. "It seems like the hunters no longer have a giant stick up their ass. They seem more kind."

"Well, Michael, despite your crude analogy of the hunters' behaviour, they weren't always so mean, as you met them before. Before Perseus died, he was the only male that was unlike the hunters. All the hunters have a reason with joining. Most of them were ill-treated, by their family or boyfriends. As such they had a distrust for males. With Perseus, he was like the brother and father they never had. When he died, the Hunt was missing a vital part. Because of this, the huntresses reverted back to distrusting the majority of the males. Now that he's back, the Hunt has become like a family."

"Oh. But don't they fear him? I mean, the burning eyes, his weapons and his wings seem disturbing."

"You are looking on the outside. Despite his outer appearance, Perseus is a very kind individual. He doesn't have a huge ego, and he is tries his best to make everyone happy. Anyways, you should go do your activities now. We'll speak later. Tonight, we have a Capture the Flag game with the Hunters, so you should prepare the campers."

Michael nodded. He thought about how Perseus was successful in his role of the Hunt. Was it because he worked and trained in the Hunt before, that the Hunters were so successful? Or was it his abilities of leadership? Or both? He flinched when Annabeth touched his arm.

"Michael, time to go. You can think about this after."

Michael nodded, and flashed his signature grin, before starting to move to his next activity. _'I want to become like Perseus... he seems like a good man..."_

Meanwhile, Perseus was also thinking of the same thoughts. _'That Michael... he is an interesting person, with lots of potential. Unfortunately, he seems to dislike me, and his very actions speak of that damned hero Heracles, who hurt Zoe. I could teach him, to be strong, and be a leader who his friends will look up to... If only we could bury the hatchet.'_

As both Sons of Poseidon walked away from each other, they didn't see the look on Hestia's eyes as she watched them. She smiled. It seemed like she finally found a way to help this generation's Hero. By getting her own chosen, to help him.

Far above, past the skies of Ouranos, and in the realm of the Void, Chaos watched, as her champion unknowingly did what she always wanted; to help the realm of Earth and cure the evil. _'Thank the Void that I met Perseus... He could do what I always tried to do...'_

With that, Chaos dissolved into the Void, once again taking on her role as the Creator. _'Good luck, Champion of the Void.'_


	6. The Hunt Begins

**A/N Apologies for not updating, but there had been a series of events that have distracted and discouraged me from writing. Namely, I've gotten addicted to League of Legends, so I have not been writing for much. Also, my 3****rd**** year of highschool took much more effort than I expected in order to maintain my grades. Sorry for that, and hopefully I'll start updating soon again. Anyways, enjoy. Thanks to PercyxArtemis for being one of the PM'ers who encouraged me to continue.**

* * *

><p><strong>The Hunt<strong>

_Dining Pavilion_

"To the Gods!" Chiron bellowed, stamping his hoof against the pavilion. The rest of the campers stood up and thrust several cups of coke, sprite, water, and what appeared to be a gigantic vanilla smoothie with marshmallows and sprinkles on it.

'_Huh. Never thought about that.' _Artemis mused as the heavenly scent of burnt sacrifices (or food) floated over to her from where her Huntresses scraped their food into the flaming brazier. _'I wonder if that smoothie tastes good...'_

After giving Perseus a more detailed (and unnecessarily longer) tour of the camp, they had returned just in time for dinner, as well as enjoyed the show of a daughter of Ares brutally beating down one of her siblings. Ares seriously needed to have a councillor for his kids. She could see one of his daughters with a chainsaw strapped to her back and a son was cutting his steak with an oversized claymore.

She was brought out of her musings when Hestia arrived. "Ah, the sweet smell of the sacrifice. I can't remember the last time that I received one. Probably around 400 years ago. Perseus was the only one who actually sacrificed to me. Ironic, really, that the fire in which the demigods sacrifice into, never receives the sacrifice itself. Nice to see Perseus back though."

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "You seem in a good mood today. A very good mood."

"How can I not? My little demigod is back and he's all grown up."

"You speak as if he was your son."

"Well, I raised him as such after his mother passed away on his fifth birthday."

Artemis paused. "You never said that before. You've been holding onto a lot of secrets, _Auntie_ Hestia."

"Like you don't have any yourself, Artemis. My, my, our family's little virgin girl has fallen in love. Again. Please use protection whe-"

Artemis slammed her palm onto Hestia's lips, her cheeks showing a small tint of red. She glanced around, looking for any who overheard their conversation (and Zeus help them if they did) before turning her gaze onto Hestia. "What? What do you mean-"

That was as far as she managed to say before the gigantic smoothie from before suddenly expanded, before blowing up in an enormous gooey mess of sweetness. The sugar covered everything in the Dining Hall. The tables, the campers, the hunters, and even Chiron. Not even the goddesses were spared from the gigantic smoothie bomb of doom.

Hestia chuckled softly, as every person in the room turned towards the two twins, Travis and Connor Stoll. Just as they were about to drag the twins into the middle of the room and humiliate them (again), Perseus walked in, his face dropping from his usual professional look into an incredulous look as he observed the hall. Silence reigned as everyone watched Perseus, the Hero of Heroes, stare at the once in a lifetime sight. Whipped cream and sugary sweets were everywhere, Chiron's face looked like Santa Claus, and the sea of people looked like crazy old beggars. Oh, and there was a girl with a chainsaw revving in the background. He slowly backed out the door.

Chiron (thankfully) hammered his hoof against the pavilion. "Since our dinner was so untimely interrupted, we will be cutting this short so we can clean ourselves before the game." And then he slowly ambled off mumbling about how the kids would be the death of him.

Thalia burst into laughter, and before long, the rest of the campers followed. One by one, they left and prepared themselves for the highly anticipated Capture the Flag.

Hestia glanced around the now empty pavilion. "Well, that was interesting" She increased her body temperature and the cream melted off of her, and before long she was clean again. "Now, where were we, Artemis?"

Artemis just sighed.

* * *

><p><em>The Woods<em>

"Capture the Flag!" Chiron bellowed. "Two teams on each side will attempt to capture the opposing team's flag while at the same time defend their own. Weapons of all sorts are allowed. Maiming and killing are frowned upon and your dessert privileges will be taken away for a week. The river..."

Perseus looked at Zoë questioningly as Chiron droned off into the background. She shrugged. "Campers like them, the desserts. Don't know why. Same as someone taking away your weapons or not letting you sleep for a week."

"Ah. I see."

"... Blue team will be the Hunters and the Guardian. Red team will compose of the campers. Perseus and I will serve as battlefield medics. The goddess Artemis shall not be participating. There is an hour and a half time limit. After that, it will be a sudden death round where five fighters of both sides will be randomly chosen and pitted against each other. To the victor the spoils. Let's begin!" A loud sound was blasted across the clearing as ten satyrs raised what looked to be ox horns. _'Wonder if they are from the Minotaur..." _Perseus pondered.

"Hunters, move out!" Zoë ordered, picking up the flag of Artemis, before marching off into the grove. The rest of them followed, some more enthusiastically than the others. The twins, Alice and Selena, were literally glowing. It would have been an awe-inspiring sight if they did not sport the same matching bloodthirsty look. And they were riding on gigantic wolves.

The moonlight shone through the trees, giving the huntresses and Guardian strength and resolve as they continued their trek. Bianca stumbled upon the uneasy footing of the roots. She yelped as she tripped.

"Easy now, I got you." Perseus whispered as he held onto the back of Bianca's hunting tunic. "Don't worry, this will be your first battle, so you'll be on defence. Just keep a sharp lookout, and when you shoot an arrow, don't rush. Line up your shot, and watch for the distance. Do not worry if they are closing in upon you. Just focus. And if you miss, don't worry about it. You still have some training to do and you're still a beginner, so you should be expected to miss some arrows."

Bianca nodded, still pale at the prospect of fighting her brother. "Oh, and first timers in the camp usually stay on defence, so don't worry about harming your brother. Besides, the Hunters shall not attack young ones. Just the annoying males. And probably the girl with the chainsaw." Bianca squeaked.

"Why is there even a chainsaw here?"

"You're asking me? I just came back from the dead several days ago. If you want one just go to the Shed. That's where they keep all the weapons. If you're a pyromaniac, I believe there was a flamethrower in there."

Bianca stared incredulously at the taller Guardian, before she gave the most evilest smile that Perseus had ever seen. "Do they have stabby things that can spin around and stab things again?"

Perseus had to stop and think for several seconds as he tried to remember if there was a weapon that suited Bianca's... needs.

"Possibly... I think what you are speaking about is a chakram... I will check after this game, but remember, your main weapon is a bow, and huntresses should attack from afar and only resort to close combat quarters in dire needs."

"'Kay. How large is this forest anyways? We've been walking for twenty minutes now. And why are you following us if you're the medic?"

He shrugged. "To be honest, I have no idea how large this forest is. It's always moving, shifting and growing. And I'm following you because I'm the medic for the Huntresses, while Chiron is the medic for the campers. Anyways, several tips for you; keep your distance, and only close in when you know you can beat them. In this case, don't, since the campers will most likely overcome you in close-combat. Also..."

To be blunt, the huntresses dominated the campers. Not surprising, although Thalia and Annabeth almost managed to win the game, with Annabeth using her invisibility cap to hide among the group that Thalia led, and then taking the advantage of the distractions that occurred in the confrontation with the main hunter forces. They _almost _won, and the only reason they lost was because of Zoë's athletic speed. And Bianca's lucky stink arrow that clipped Annabeth's back several metres before she reached the river, forcing her to drop the flag and cover her nose or risk breathing in the smell of every feces known to man. Those arrows were deadly stuff.

Michael played as the defence commander, and he did a surprisingly good job at it. Apparently, he was a good leader if he wasn't so arrogant. He took out almost all of the hunters that Zoë had taken with her. And then he was knocked out by the twins, Alice and Selena, using a gigantic warhammer and an axe, respectively. Not exactly a stealthy weapon for a regular huntress, but the fact that they rode on gigantic wolves seemed to say _"Stealth? Who needs it" _right before they bludgeoned their opponent's face in.

All in all, it was a good fight, until the children of the big Three started arguing about childish matters. Thalia blamed Michael for being a lousy defense and vice versa for Michael. Thalia summoning lightning to shock Michael, Michael dousing Thalia in icy cold water, regular everyday occurrences when you had a child of Poseidon and a child of Zeus.

That was, until the mummified Oracle of Delphi from the attic walked through the forest smelling like herbs and, well, the attic. She stepped forward and in a raspy voice announced the prophecy. Except Perseus wasn't there, he was too busy scrounging around inside the weapons shed.

"I'm sure it's here somewhere." The Guardian mumbled to himself, while gently moving a rocket launcher to the side. When the match had ended, Perseus had healed all the wounds that the Huntresses had received and walked off towards the shed. He was now finding a weapon that Bianca had requested. Technically, the shed was the size of a warehouse, and the fact that it was close to 300 years since it was last cleaned and organized made the entire floor, walls and ceiling a living deathtrap if you stepped in the wrong location.

Squinting his eyes, Perseus managed to see a four-pronged bladed chakram, what Bianca had requested, but was unfortunately much, much too big for her. Perseus sighed before continuing his search, instinctively ducking as an automatic crossbow fired an arrow at his face.

He spotted a dim glow in the back of the warehouse, and as he squinted his eyes, he noticed the sharpest sword-like metal pieces surrounding a red orb. Flying over to the weapon, he picked it up and examined it more closely. There was an orb in the center, around the size of his hand that was surrounded by essences of red and dark energy. Four sword-like metal pieces, with the sharp end pointing out and where the hilt would have been pointing towards the central orb, gleamed in the moonlight. The metal pieces seemed to orbit around the orb, and as Perseus focused upon the orb, the orb took flight and followed his mental commands, the deadly metal hovering around the orb following and spinning as it went. Deeming it satisfactory, Perseus flew back to the entrance of the shed _(*Cough* Warehouse of pointy stuff *Cough*) _and walked back towards the forest, the extraordinary weapon floating in the air behind it, humming a low frequency just loud enough to be heard.

He met the campers and huntresses walking halfway towards the forest, looking shell-shocked, as well as the Oracle's body walking and shuffling slowly back to the Big House. Perseus was naturally confused, before dismissing it and continuing on his way.

Several campers moved a healthy distance away from the floating weapon only a few inches away from Perseus' back as he strode across the clearing to Bianca. Just before Bianca would have collided with him, she looked up and almost shrieked in fear of the shadow-covered Guardian before forcing the instinct down.

"Here you go," Perseus spoke, "Your new weapon. Unfortunately, the bladed chakrams were much too large for you and should you have lifted it, you probably would have failed to lift it up to your waist, never mind wielding it in battle."

Bianca stared wide-eyed at the weapon as Perseus levitated the orb over to Bianca, making extra sure that the metal blades were out of her arms' way when she tried to catch it.

"How do I control it?"

"Honestly? I have no idea. This weapon has been following me ever since I walked out of the Shed, but I suppose that the weapon does have conscious thought and will probably follow your mental commands. From what I've seen, the orb is like the centerpiece, and the metal blades will orbit around it. Here, have a go."

Bianca gently touched the orb with both hands, before making a lifting motion. She gasped as the orb slowly rose off her hands without any physical contact.

Perseus studied the weapon for several more seconds. "I suppose that its function is designed upon flexibility and one's mental prowess. Your skill with the weapon depends on how fast you think. You could parry with a blade and retaliate with three others causing you to have deadly close combat skills whenever you are caught in an unfortunate situation. I also think that you could probably launch your blades at-"

The four blades instantly broke off from their hovering and smashed into the tree right behind Perseus, causing a nymph to instantly jump out. She cursed several times, and was about to slap Perseus before she realized who he was. Instantly, she turned crimson, and *Poofed* back into her tree, the surrounding trees slightly shaking with laughter.

Perseus switched his gaze back onto Bianca, who was trying to hide behind one of the other hunters. No such luck, as the hunters immediately stepped out of the Guardian's line of sight. Bianca looked bashfully towards the floor, and mumbled an apology.

Perseus resisted the urge to sigh as he continued his lesson. "Anyways, like I said, you can launch the blades at an object and instantly recall them at ease." He watched amused as the blades smoothly slid out of the bark, the former wounds of the tree repairing itself. "There appears to be a limit to how far you can extend your weapon, but the overall capabilities of the weapons will only be restricted by your imagination and mental prowess. I have yet to understand the full capacities of all the weapons, but I suppose the more you use it the more you will discover."

Bianca looked awestruck as she admired the weapon in a new light. Before Perseus had the chance to react, Bianca had tackled the Guardian into a hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She squealed. Her sudden actions caused the majority of the demigods and hunters still around to stare at the pair in confusion. She suddenly untangled herself from her hug and dashed off towards the cabin with her new weapon floating dangerously around her, nearly decapitating several individuals as she ran.

Perseus's eyes followed Bianca's trek a bit longer, before meeting Artemis's eyes. She gestured for him to enter the Arena with her. Slightly confused, Perseus turned, being careful not to smash an unsuspecting individual's head with his wings, and trudged off towards the Arena.

* * *

><p>"Mistress?"<p>

His tenor voice echoed throughout the empty stands, his footsteps becoming large drum-like beats as he walked. She turned her hooded face slightly to acknowledge his presence.

"There was a prophecy." She started. "Spoken by the Oracle. It told of a quest to save a goddess."

The Guardian immediately stiffened as he became alert.

"_Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,_

_One shall be lost in the land without rain,_

_The bane of Olympus shows the trail,_

_Campers and Hunters combined prevail,_

_The Titan's curse must one withstand,_

_And one shall perish by a parent's hand"_

Perseus pondered a bit more. "This goddess in chains. Do you know who it can be?" He asked respectfully towards Artemis.

She shook her head sadly. "I have my suspicions. Several goddesses that I have not spoken with in a long while would be Athena and Demeter. They've always kept to themselves, like me."

"Will we be going on the quest with the five companions to save the goddess?"

"No. We have our own hunting to do."

Perseus raised a burned eyebrow. "Pardon?"

"The Spirit of Delphi spoke to me when we were alone. She gave me another prophecy, one that I am only allowed to share with you."

The Guardian watched her carefully, before gesturing for her to continue.

"_The two travel through the bleakest of nights,_

_Challenged by trials of strength and might._

_Guardian and Mistress, Protector and Huntress_

_Will walk alone to seek the hidden Goddess._

_One shall fall in the burning agony of the Hellfire,_

_One shall be torn apart in the curse of the Forlorn Spire,_

_Prices will be made to overcome the trials burned,_

_As the bond above all is broken and spurned."_

The silence that followed the Lady's ethereal voice was full of tension as both warriors took the time to take in the prophecy. Perseus was still trying to make sense of the prophecy when he felt the cool, small hand of his mistress resting upon his cheek. He shifted his view towards his Lady's face and watched as crystalline tears cascaded off her cheeks and onto the floor.

"I do not want to lose you again..." She whispered shakily. "I've been lost without you, and I do not want to undergo that feeling ever again. You promised that you would never leave me helpless or would do anything to harm me."

The Guardian's large wings once again shifted to cover both of them as they he comforted Artemis. The black cocoon hid all sight as the goddess wept upon her protector's shoulders.

"We cannot deny the prophecy. We are but toys in the grand view of Fate. We must do what the prophecy ordains of us and find this hidden goddess."

"But what of us? Have we not suffered enough? We have barely been together for a few days before we are told that we must be split apart again."

"I will follow and protect you to my last breathe. I shall not fall in battle and leave you by yourself."

"But what of the prophec-"

"Damn the prophecy!" Perseus said in a sudden stroke of anger. "I shall not fail you, my mistress."

Artemis's eyes widened at Perseus' rare phase of anger, before a new shower of tears fell from her eyes.

Perseus hugged her mistress in his best way of comforting her.

'_I shall not fail.'_

* * *

><p>It was a solemn morning as Perseus untangled himself from Artemis's deathlike embrace. They were still in the arena, and the morning horn had just sounded. He stood up and cracked several of his bones to loosen himself up for the daunting task ahead. He watched as his mistress still slept soundly, small traces of tears still upon her cheeks. While deities do not require sleep, they still may partake in the act of relaxation due to old habits.<p>

Carrying his mistress bridal style, he travelled towards the respective cabin of his mistress, ducking under the tiny door and laying his mistress upon one of the more comfortable beds. Most of the hunters had already left for breakfast, except Bianca and Kate. Kate was desperately trying to wake up Bianca without having Bianca's new weapons spear her. Turning around, Kate yelped as the looming form of the Guardian appeared right before her, lowering Artemis's body into a bed. Her yelp instantly woke Bianca, and Bianca stumbled as she attempted to leap up, her bow and weapons in a mess around her.

Both hunters stared at the Guardian incredulously before noticing the slumbering goddess. Perseus merely held up a finger to his lips, before gesturing to them to join breakfast. Which Bianca quickly did in a hurry as she realized that she overslept. Perseus watched amused as Bianca quickly changed and dragged Kate towards the dining hall, the hovering blades orbiting her erratically as she ran.

Time passed quickly for Perseus, and before long he was called to a meeting to discuss the prophecy of the five venturing to find the goddess in chains. He kept silent as the meeting carried out, melding into the shadows of The Big House.

Zoë was voted as the de facto leader of the company as well as the representative of the hunters. Thalia was the main representative of the Campers of Camp Half-Blood. Michael and Annabeth were the next two members of the quest, and the final one was Bianca. Bianca nearly fell off her chair, so distracted by her newest weapon, when she was called out by Zoë. By now, many people had realized Bianca's unhealthy obsession with sharp objects, more specifically her four blades and hovering orb, and often walked a wide berth around her.

Chiron continued his analysis of the prophecy, but Perseus had already blocked out the room's arguments and voices. He had gone on his fair share of quests prior to his induction as a Guardian, and he understood why Chiron was going through the very specifics of everything the Oracle spoke, but it was incredibly tiresome for those not participating in the quest. Surprisingly, Chiron turned to the almost forgotten Guardian in the background.

"Perseus, anything to add?"

The occupants of the room swiveled their heads towards the Guardian. He raised his eyes slightly, the hellfire eyes observing and chilling the less hardened warriors.

"Follow what Zoë says. She is the most experienced out of all of you. Do not disobey her."

Thalia and Michael seemed to take offense at what Perseus said, but quickly stifled their retorts when the fiery eyes of the Guardian focused upon them.

"Disobedience will lead to destruction of the group. This shall result in a failure of the quest. You must save the kidnapped goddess before the Winter Solstice. Do not fail."

His solemn tone quickly made the mood downcast. Chiron shifted uncomfortably, his hooves leaving a hollow sound upon the wooden floor. "I believe that is it then," Chiron spoke out. "We wish you luck upon your quest, heroes. Argus will lend you one of the camp's vans for you to use in your quest. You will all set out tomorrow morning, just before the sun breaks. Good luck, and may the fates be kind to you."

With that, the campers trudged out of the cabin. The sun had already begun setting, as the meeting had taken the majority of the day. Zoë and Bianca immediately followed Perseus's path towards the outskirts of the forest. He leaned against the side of a tree as Zoë climbed up a nearby pine tree and laid upon the branches. Bianca simply sat upon one of the nearby stones.

"It is imperative that you take caution in your quest. The prophecy is unclear and states of two of your members being led to tragic fates. The Mistress of the Hunt would be saddened if any of those two were either of you two. Bianca, you are the newest to any of the monster fighting and you have the least amount of experience. Stay with Zoë and do not endanger yourself. Zoë, watch over Bianca the most, but remember to take your role as a leader seriously as well. The rest will follow your lead, so make sure not to take foolhardy risks without considering the consequences."

Zoë nodded, the expression on her face grim. Bianca looked nervous but quickly agreed to Perseus's guidance. "Won't you come with us?" Bianca asked.

The Guardian shook his head. "My Lady and I have our own hunting to do. One that is only for us two."

Zoë looked alarmed. "What? Why? I never heard about this other hunt! Where art thou and the Lady going? Why are thou not taking the other-" she spoke rapidly.

"Enough."

Zoë snarled at the tone. "Why. Why didn't our mistress tell us of her hunt, and why is she bringing only thou and not the rest of the hunters?"

The Guardian turned his head, his expression darkening as he glared at the huntress. Zoë seemed to shrink back slightly at his gaze.

"We did not have a choice. The Spirit of Delphi has spoken, and we must act."

Zoë widened her eyes at Perseus's explanation. Bianca looked on alarmed as she realized that Artemis and Perseus had been given another prophecy.

"What will happen in thy Hunt, what is so special about it that only thou and Artemis can go on it?" Zoë asked, slightly panicked.

Perseus grimaced at that question. "Something that will require all of my effort to watch over my Mistress." He sighed tiredly. "You should rest up for your quest tomorrow. I wish you luck, and happy hunting. May you all live to see the sun rise the next week." Perseus stood up and started to walk back into the general direction of the lake. "My Mistress and I would have already left by the time you and your company have woken up. Do not tell anyone else of this conversation."

He left the two hunters shell-shocked as he trudged onwards.

* * *

><p>Artemis woke up from her rest and raised her head slightly to see the interior of her Cabin. She tried to recall what happened the night prior before remembering the events. Grimacing slightly, she stood up and prepared her hunting equipment. She traded her traditional attire of a silvery-celestial hunting tunic with a dark green hunting cloak, before strapping her quiver and bow onto her back. She strapped several throwing weapons onto her tunic before sliding her hunting knives up her sleeves.<p>

As she prepared her equipment for her hunt, she heard the shuffling of two of her hunters walking. Glancing outside, she could see that the moon had already risen and the majority of the camp gathering around the campfire. Intrigued, she opened the cabin door to see Zoë and Bianca walking into the cabin. They stared at Artemis's outfit for quite a while before Zoë turned towards her face.

"Are thou really going on thy own hunt?" Zoë asked, timidly.

Artemis looked slightly confused before she realized what Zoë was asking. Slowly, she nodded. Zoë suddenly hugged Artemis fiercely, small tremors in Zoë's body as she sobbed silently. Artemis was bewildered while Bianca stared mournfully at Artemis.

"Zoë, what's wrong?" Artemis asked.

Zoë didn't respond for a while before she finally looked up at Artemis's face. "Thou art the closest thing to a mother that all of us could have, my lady. Please, come back safely."

Artemis's visage softened as she slowly smiled. She glanced at Bianca and gestured for her to come.

"You two were the ones chosen to leave upon the quest, weren't you? I hope you both come back safely. You are all like family to me." She whispered into their ears.

She materialized two identical amulets, with the sigil of the crescent moon upon them.

"Take my blessings. With these, you will have speed beyond measure. You will always be connected to each other and when the darkest hour arrives, I will be there to help my daughters."

She smiled serenely as the two hunters reverently looped the amulets around their necks.

"I wish you luck in your quest. Now, I have my own hunt to attend to." She spoke softly, before leaving the cabin.

She met up with Perseus near the lake. The naiads had been busy refilling up the lake with water from the sea and purifying it. There were no more traces of the bus-smash-lake accident that occurred only yesterday.

"Are you ready, mistress?" Perseus inquired as he dipped his hand into the serene lake.

She nodded. "We should start where we last saw Hyperion's army. There are bound to be clues that can lead us to find this hidden goddess."

Artemis reached back and pulled her hood over her face, as Perseus's hellfire eyes grew larger.

"_**Let the hunt... begin."**_

* * *

><p><strong>First update in a year for this story. Hope I didn't disappoint.<strong>

**Also, making the icons take an extremely long time to make if you want it to correctly reflect your story. I do believe I spent up to an hour trying to get the correct colour scheme for Hooded Hunter Artemis and Guardian Perseus. **


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